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Pittsburgh Steelers: Three Early Predictions for Minkah Fitzpatrick

Chris Ross

As a new Pittsburgh Steeler, Minkah Fitzpatrick has brought plenty of excitement, but what should we expect from the Steelers’ newest defender?

When the Pittsburgh Steelers traded for disgruntled Miami Dolphins defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick earlier this week, it was a move that was seen by some as a stroke of genius and by others as a risky move that may not be worth the price. With Fitzpatrick expected to play for the team in Week Three, it’s clear the team has confidence in his ability, but only time will tell if Fitzpatrick is ultimately the player the Steelers think they are getting.

With that in mind, when it comes down to talent, there is plenty of reason to be excited about Fitzpatrick’s arrival in Pittsburgh. In the 2018 NFL Draft, Fitzpatrick was viewed as a top prospect and was ultimately the No. 11 overall pick in a talented class. Though he grew frustrated with his usage in Miami, the Steelers appear to be a perfect landing spot, given their defensive needs.

On a team that struggles to contain tight ends and deep passes, Fitzpatrick is precisely the type of player the team needs. He has the size to matchup against larger tight ends while also having the speed to cover deep. Even on a Dolphins team that insisted on playing him out of position, Minkah was able to shine as an up-and-coming star.

Again, only time will tell how good Minkah Fitzpatrick ends up being for the Steelers, but based on what we know about him so far, it’s fair to expect a certain level of play from him. With that in mind, let’s take attempt to look into the future and come up with some early predictions for the newly-minted Steeler.

Pro Bowl Season Coming Up

On a new team with something to prove, expect Fitzpatrick to play better than ever before. The Steelers are going to use their new player in a way that best fits his skill-set, and the rewards should be immense. Fitzpatrick is the type of ball-hawking player that we consistently see in the Pro Bowl. Though there are a few talented safeties in the AFC, few, if any, can boast this combination of natural talent, versatility and scheme fit. Going back to his college days, Fitzpatrick has proven his ball skills are no joke.

Something that is often overlooked when it comes to the Steelers defense is the amount of talent the team has. Yes, they have underachieved this season, but at the end of the day, this is a squad loaded with former high draft picks. From this year’s first-rounder Devin Bush to guys like Terrell Edmunds, T.J. Watt or Joe Haden, this team has highly-touted players at every level, taking the pressure off of Fitzpatrick and allowing him to play without worrying if the guys around him will hold up.

Whenever a team trades away a first-round selection in exchange for a player, the team expects to get a Pro Bowl-type talent in return. Luckily the Steelers were able to do just that when they stole Fitzpatrick from Miami. Sure, the team had to take a big risk but in the end, this type of player is worth it. As long as he remains healthy, expect Fitzpatrick’s change-of-scenery to result in his first Pro Bowl nod.

At Least Five Interceptions

Going hand-in-hand with the Pro Bowl prediction, Fitzpatrick’s first season in Pittsburgh should show his ball-skills in a big way, resulting in at least five interceptions. Five interceptions in 14 remaining games is a lot to expect, but it’s not too crazy when taking into account his collegiate production, including a sophomore season in which he picked off six passes. Whereas in Miami Fitzpatrick was often used as a strong safety, negating his talent in pass coverage, the Steelers will be looking to utilize him as more of hybrid safety-cornerback type of player that suites him well.

There’s no doubting that the Steelers could stand to pick off a few more passes in the secondary. Joe Haden led the team last season with just two interceptions while nobody else on the team had more than one. As a team, the Steelers only managed to pick off eight passes last season, a mark that simply must improve. To put that into perspective, three separate players had seven interceptions by themselves last year. As a rookie, Fitzpatrick would have tied Haden for the team lead last season in interceptions. With a year of experience under his belt and a brand new system tailor-made for him to shine, expect him to more than double that total this season.

The Steelers haven’t had a player record more than five interceptions in a season since 2010 when Troy Polamalu hauled in seven. Expect that to finally change now that Fitzpatrick has been added to the secondary.

Will Become Pittsburgh’s Best Defensive Player

If you haven’t noticed so far, these predictions suggest a huge season from Pittsburgh’s new acquisition. With that in mind, it should come as no surprise that Fitzpatrick may prove to be the Steelers’ best defensive player by the time this season comes to an end. As stated earlier, the Steelers have plenty of talented players on the defensive side of the ball, but Fitzpatrick is just on another level. Take his Alabama career for example; Nick Saban, the notoriously tight-lipped coach, gushed about Fitzpatrick prior to his final season at Alabama.

Sure, the Steelers have talent but expect Fitzpatrick to be the guy that puts it all together and ultimately emerges as the team’s defensive leader. In terms of natural talent, he is the best defensive back the Steelers have had on the roster since Polamalu, and he could end up having the same type of impact on this team. Even in Miami, where things ended poorly, Fitzpatrick was seen as a potential cornerstone. On a team that wants him around and has paid a premium to secure his services, nobody should be surprised when he lives up to his immense potential.

From coverage to run support, this guy has displayed elite skills. Despite the massive expectations being placed on him because of what the Steelers gave up for him, Minkah Fitzpatrick has the ability to change how this team is viewed around the NFL, especially when it comes to the underperforming defense. With big things on the horizon, expect a new Steelers great to emerge.