Short answer: Probably not. That’s not to say it can’t work.
With his speed, agility, and coverage skills, he would be an asset in shoring-up a flailing secondary. I watched quite a bit of film on this guy and it’s safe to say he has the intangibles to slide right into the starting safety position and have an immediate impact on any defense in the league.
Personally, I would rather have Justin Evans paired up with Minkah Fitzpatrick to help create a pair of nightmarish safeties for offenses to contend with. It’s no secret we were severely lacking in the secondary and need them to have success for the defense, as well as the entire team to succeed.
Fitzpatrick has great foot speed and is able to maintain that speed over long distances, allowing him to make necessary plays, whether he stays in front of a receiver or has to catch up to one.
Some have argued the DB out of Alabama might just be the best overall DB in this draft, and pointing to that is his ability to see all of the field and make split second decisions that place him in a position to either knock a pass down or come up with the interception. The kid has even drawn (ridiculous) comparisons to none other than Prime Time, Deion Sanders. That is a lot to put on a young man’s shoulders.
Fitzpatrick certainly is talented, and if he’s available when the Buccaneers select 7th, his name should most certainly be on the Buccaneers short list. Fitzpatrick is also a natural nickel corner, but with his football IQ, play making ability, awareness and talent, Fitzpatrick can easily transition anywhere in the secondary. He has the skill set to blitz and sack the QB, which he had 5 of at Alabama, or flat out ball hawk receivers in man to man or zone coverage. His 9 interceptions for 274 return yards and 4 TDs in his college career attest to that.
As much as I wanted Denzel Ward at 7, after soaking in all the fan’s cases for why we should select Derwin James at 7, I have decided to look at other players, and came to one simple conclusion, Minkah may just be a perfect fit for our beloved Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Check out his highlight video:
Edited by: Harmeet Kapur
