One Steelers star ranked high on list of best young NFL players

The Steelers have several great young players, but this star defender was recently honored in the top 25 player rankings under the age of 25. 

This time every year, major media outlets are releasing some interesting rankings. The piece recently released by Marcus Mosher of The Game Day is a scenario I love to think about.

Playing Madden as a teenager, my cousins and I would try to comprise a team of only players under the age of 25, so I always find this piece intriguing. Recently, Mosher released his rankings of the top 25 players under the age of 25 heading into the 2021 season.

Just one Steelers player made the list: budding star safety, Minah Fitzpatrick. The once questionable trade acquisition by Pittsburgh quickly developed into one of the league’s best and most impactful safeties. Among all of the promising young players in the NFL, it’s impressive that Fitzpatrick comes in 5th on this list. Here’s what Mosher had to say:

"5. Minkah Fitzpatrick, FS, Pittsburgh Steelers (24)Fitzpatrick has been a linchpin of Pittsburgh’s outstanding defense over the past two years, making back-to-back Pro Bowls and forcing turnovers left and right. He’s only 24 years old and has already established himself as one of the league’s best safeties. Think the Dolphins regret trading him?"

At 24 years old, this will be the last year of eligibility for Minkah Fitzpatrick to crack these rankings. In case you are wondering, T.J. Watt, is 26 and is no longer eligible to make the cut.

The only players ahead of Minkah on this list are Lamar Jackson (age 24), A.J. Brown (23), DK Metcalf (23), and Nick Bosa (23). Each one of these players has all the potential to be multiple-time All-Pro players, and perhaps a few will end up in the Hall of Fame when it’s all said and done. It’s also worth noting that Fitzpatrick topped some quality players on this list like Jaire Alexander, Justin Jefferson, Chase Young, and Justin Herbert.

Why the Steelers safety deserves to be ranked so high

Of the top players of this list of the best NFL stars under the age of 25, Fitzpatrick is already more established than most with 2 First-Team All-Pro seasons already under his belt. The star safety has earned very respectable grades from Pro Football Focus since joining the Steelers, and he is responsible for more takeaway-worthy plays than any player in the league since 2019.

Now entering his fourth NFL season at just 24 years old, Minkah will look to continue his record pace with another All-Pro performance in 2021. Though many don’t even view him as the best defensive player on his team (thanks in large part to the utter dominance of T.J. Watt), he’s still widely considered one of the single-most valuable defensive assets in all of football when you combine his youth and playmaking ability.

Because of this recent run of dominance early in his NFL career, Fitzpatrick has already been a candidate for Defensive Player of the Year twice in his first three seasons. If he can create just a few more splash plays in 2021, he could elevate his name to the top of the list.

The Steelers clearly have a few of the most valuable young players in the league, and next to T.J. Watt, there isn’t a more valuable asset to the organization in the future than Minkah Fitzpatrick. I’m excited to see what he will bring this season.