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Desmond Howard explains what makes Minkah Fitzpatrick draft’s best defensive prospect
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Minkah Fitzpatrick may not be the first defensive player taken in the 2018 NFL Draft but that doesn’t mean he’s not the best prospect on that side of the ball entering the league’s selection process.
During ESPN’s broadcast of College GameDay leading up to the 2018 NFL Draft, each analyst on set was asked to name the best defensive prospect in the draft. According to Desmond Howard, the answer is Minkah Fitzpatrick.
Here is what Howard had to say about why Fitzpatrick could potentially be so valuable to NFL defenses.
“He’s just an outstanding talent. Why? Because he’s so versatile,” Howard said. “You can put him in the box, he can cover a slot receiver, he can cover a tight end. You can rush him off the edge or drop him off as a safety. To me, a guy like that is so useful in today’s NFL because, in the NFL, everything is at the benefit of the receivers… Fitzpatrick is great for NFL defenses.”
The former Heisman Trophy winner makes some valid points there. With offenses taking over the NFL game, having defenders that can fit into any scheme and nearly any situation become that more valuable to defensive coordinators in the pros.
Even if the former Alabama defensive back isn’t the first defensive player selected Thursday in the draft, there’s an outstanding chance he’s chosen soon after for the reasons Howard points out.
A graduate of the University of Tennessee, Michael Wayne Bratton oversees the news coverage for Saturday Down South. Michael previously worked for FOX Sports and NFL.com
