Steelers ‘Minkah Fitzpatrick or 1st round pick’ debate will continue

The Pittsburgh Steelers gave up a first-round pick to acquire, Minkah Fitzpatrick. Here’s why that decision will continue to be debated.

As unfortunate as it is, the sad truth is that Steelers fans will be debating all season long whether or not Minkah Fitzpatrick will be worth the potentially high first-round pick Pittsburgh gave up to get him.

At the time Kevin Colbert executed the trade, the Steelers were coming off a close 28-26 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. However, Pittsburgh dropped a game to the 49ers this past weekend – giving them an 0-3 record to start the season.

Minkah Fitzpatrick was fantastic during his first game with the Steelers. He forced two turnovers (an interception and a fumble) and did everything Pittsburgh could have asked him to in his first appearance with the team. Here were Minkah’s thoughts after the game:

However, even with a dominant first showing, fans are continuing to question whether or not Fitzpatrick will be worth the first-round pick Pittsburgh gave up to get him. There is a legitimate reason for this debate.

Pittsburgh hasn’t won a game in their first three contests, and their offense shows no signs of life. Mike Tomlin’s team somehow managed to lose a game in which his defense accounted for five takeaways.

Most updated odds following the loss to the 49ers predict the Steelers to have just a 6-10 record this season. If this holds true, Pittsburgh will be picking high and it’s entirely possible that they could find a player equal to or better than Fitzpatrick in the draft.

As if we need even more reason to debate this, it is still very unclear whether or not Mason Rudolph could be the next man up for the Steelers. Meanwhile, Ben Roethlisberger (who will be 38 years old before he steps back on the field again) looked awful before being placed on IR.

If Rudolph struggles, fans will be wishing that Pittsburgh’s held on to their first-round pick as capital to grab a franchise quarterback in the 2020 NFL Draft.

We certainly can’t call Minkah Fitzpatrick a bust after what we witnessed in his first action with the Steelers. Unfortunately, however, this debate will linger on all the way through the season and to the NFL Draft as fans will wonder what the Steelers might have been able to get with this pick.