The Steelers traded for Minkah Fitzpatrick on Monday. Here’s the unknown reason this was a good move.
If you haven’t heard already, Minkah Fitzpatrick was traded to the Steelers for a first-round pick, fifth-round pick, and a sixth-round pick. The Steelers also got back a fourth-round pick and a seventh-round pick.
Minkah Fitzpatrick was the 11th overall pick in 2018 out of Alabama. What I like about this player is versatility. He can cover in the slot and play the deep safety position. He is a sure upgrade over Sean Davis.
What is particularly good about this pick is somewhat off the radar for most football fans. The Steelers will head into the offseason and the draft with a lot of needs on the defensive side of the ball. Javon Hargrave, Sean Davis, and Bud Dupree are all unrestricted free agents.
On the other side of the ball, Pittsburgh should be pretty stable. Ben will be healthy; all of the offensive starters will be under contract or will be easy to sign; an example is Matt Feiler will be an exclusive-rights free agent. This makes him really easy to retain.
That means the Steelers will have to draft the defensive side of the ball in the first round. They have done this a lot in recent history. In fact, they have drafted the defensive side of the ball the past seven years.
The problem is there isn’t that much first-round talent on the defensive side of the ball. Having watched the tape on a lot of the upcoming draft prospects, the only ones I would draft in the first would be Grant Delpit, Derrick Brown and Raekwon Davis. The problem is that Delpit is a strong safety and the Steelers are set at defensive end; so, they won’t need Brown or Davis.
That leaves Pittsburgh in a predicament, and that first-round issue was solved with a top pick at free safety. The Steelers know he can play in the league and he will give them an immediate impact on Sunday. This helps even more with Sean Davis injured currently.
So the Steelers were the ones to give up a first-rounder for Fitzpatrick. This way, they hit on a need at free safety with Sean Davis set to be a free agent at the end of the season. Sure, they may not have Fitzpatrick for the full five years, but they can resign him, unlike Sean Davis who hired Drew Rosenhaus to be his agent.