The Case for Minkah Fitzpatrick at 8
Should Minkah Fitzpatrick be the Chicago Bears selection with the eighth overall pick?
The one thing that’s becoming clear for the Chicago Bears is that if the draft goes “chalk” they are going to have the selection that begins to dictate the rest of the draft. If someone like Denzel Ward or even Minkah Fitzpatrick are selected ahead of the Bears at 8, the Bears will have a choice at most likely Quenton Nelson, or the fourth quarterback that would open the door for them to trade down.
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If the big three are gone and all 4 QBs are gone, there may not be a player coveted enough that teams are going to feel the need to jump up to the eighth pick to make their selection. What that means is if the draft goes chalk, the Bears will most likely be selecting at eight, without one of the three top-tier non-QBs available to them. Should Ryan Pace consider Minkah Fitzpatrick? It’s not a bad idea.
Fitzpatrick seemed like a lock to be one of the top two or three non-QBs in this draft but it seems like his stock has slipped lately. Fitzpatrick has gone from regularly in the top five of mock drafts and now sliding back to pick 10 to 12.
What has been the reason for Fitzpatrick’s small slide? Most likely that reason has been his position. Nick Saban moved him around the secondary at Alabama at allowed Fitzpatrick to utilize his skills to create mismatches. However, NFL scouts see Fitzpatrick settling into one position in the NFL, and most project him to be a nickel (slot) cornerback.
Traditionally, slot corners aren’t considered nearly as important as outside corners. They have more help, don’t face the team’s best weapons and generally can be positioned to help cover their weaknesses. Teams always want their elite corners on the outside. If Fitzpatrick projects as someone who should play in the slot, it’s hard to justify selecting him that high.
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Don’t get me wrong, Fitzpatrick has plenty of tools that could make him special. He’s a great blitzer out of the secondary, he has a knack for interceptions, and he doesn’t shy from contact. It’s not that Fitzpatrick doesn’t have the skills to be a great NFL player, it’s that his position may not warrant a top pick in the draft.
Fitzpatrick is labeled as a safety but will most likely settle in at the slot where he’s most comfortable. Some teams are more willing to invest in a slot corner being that the nickel package is on the field as much or more than a team’s base package these days.
When you look at the Bears, Bryce Callahan is a solid slot corner, but Fitzpatrick would certainly be an upgrade. The trio of corners of Fitzpatrick, Prince Amukamara and Kyle Fuller along with the safety pairing of Eddie Jackson and Adrian Amos could become one of the best secondaries in the league, but again, would Pace be interested in spending the eighth pick on Fitzpatrick?
He has all the tools to be a great player, but his position is a question. Great coaches don’t worry about positions. They take talented players and put them in a position to succeed. Can Matt Nagy and Vic Fangio succeed with Fitzpatrick? That’s up to Ryan Pace to decide before he makes his selection on Thursday.