Scout- Jason Feiner
College: Alabama
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 204 lbs
40-Time: 4.46
Bench Press: 14
Vertical: 33"
Athleticism: 7.90
Q.A.B./C.O.D. 8.00 He is a very quick athlete with excellent balance and body control. He has the ability to change direction at will by planting his foot in the ground and driving to the ball. Flexibility 7.50 He plays with good knee bend and excellent pad level. He can run tall and lifts his pads when in contact with a block, but he utilizes excellent pad level when tackling. Deep Speed 8.00 He has excellent deep speed capable of mirroring a receiver in the slot or driving up field in a hurry. He can get to top speed very quickly and recover if beat. Explosion 7.50 Fitzpatrick is an explosive athlete, but he is more quick than explosive on the field. He can drive through ball carrier, but his feet are quicker than they are explosive when chasing receivers. Coordination 8.50 Fitzpatrick has excellent body control and balance. He can sense opposing players around him and can sniff out the ball. He has a quick first step and can stay on a receivership in traffic. He is excellent at moving around a pick and reaching the receiver before or when the ball arrives.
Coverage Ability: 7.00
Man Press 6.50 He is a physical player, but he can often lose his player at the line or let them run by him. He generally plays man off when covering the slot, but his recovery speed helps him mirror the receiver in man coverage. Man Off 7.50 Fitzpatrick is excellent in man-off coverage. He was often deployed as a slot corner with excellent movement ability and quick feet. He displays the ability to knock the receiver off his route and run with them in stride. He can get lost at the top of their route and has quicker feet rather than explosive when trailing a receiver. He doesn’t have the coverage talent to play full time corner at the next level. Zone 7.50 He is an excellent zone defender capable of reading the quarterback’s eyes. He is quick to react and has the ability to undercut receivers routes. He has the necessary awareness in while in zone to make plays and the range to play deep safety effectively. Hand Fighting 6.50 He is a physical athlete and can force a receiver off his route, but he generally lets them by and mirrors their route. Hips/Turn Ability 7.00 He is a fluid athlete, but he plays with some hip tightness that limits his lateral movement in coverage. He had a good day at the combine and seemed to be moving very well, but his hips were tight too often in game film.
Play Making: 7.83
Closing Quickness 8.00 He has excellent instincts. Fitzpatrick can read the eyes of a quarterback and drive to to the ball without hesitating. He has good feet with the ability to travel backwards and forwards quickly. He possesses the range of a deep safety to make a play in the air. Ball skills 7.50 He has outstanding ball skills. He is knows how to position himself well and has 9 career interceptions. four of which were returned for a touchdown. Route/play Diagnosis 8.00 He has excellent awareness and can read the quarterback’s eyes. Fitzpatrick can read a defenders route and undercut it to play the ball in the air.
Run Support: 8.17
Quickness Upfield 8.50 He is extremely urgent in run support that allows him to follow his instincts and move without hesitation. He plays with a downhill mindset and can get to the ball carrier in a hurry. Fight Through Blocks 8.00 He plays off his blocks to get into position to make the hit. He can get tied up at times, but he does an excellent job of pushing the blocker off of him and then uses his speed to get in front of the runner. He knows how to leverage blocks. Tackling 8.00 He is a powerful tackler with the ability to run through contact. He attacks the line of scrimmage and wraps the ball carrier consistently. Fitzpatrick has a tendency to be too urgent to the ball and can lose leverage at times. He needs to be more patient, but he is generally in the right spot at the right time. He utilizes good technique when tackling and rarely misses a tackle once contact is engaged.
Competitiveness: 9.00
Toughness 9.00 Minkah Fitzpatrick is an incredibly tough player who has played through nagging or painful injuries. He has good size for an NFL safety and can play anywhere on the field due to his power, size and athleticism. He has no durability concerns entering the next level. Production 8.50 Fitzpatrick has been extremely productive throughout his collegiate career. He has played the deep safety role, as an in the box linebacker, a slot corner or as a blitzer off the edge. He is a dangerous blitzer who utilizes his speed and power to get to the quarterback. He is the leader of Alabama’s defense and is an elite prospect entering the NFL. Consistency/Motor 9.50 His motor doesn’t end until the final whistle is blown. He flies around the field making play after play. He doesn’t let up and has an urgency to help in the run game and the talent to consistently cover in the slot. He is a high intensity player and will not quit until the end of the game.
Intelligence: 8.83
Instincts 9.00 Fitzpatrick has excellent instincts that allow him to act on impulse without hesitation. He has outstanding field awareness and plays the ball perfectly in the air. He has an urgency in the run game and is always in the right spot to make a play. Learn/Retain 8.50 Fitzpatrick is a versatile weapon that can play anywhere on the field. He is an extremely talented and smart player that eats, sleeps and breathes football. Teamwork 9.00 Fitzpatrick is a leader in Bama’s defense and will do everything that he is asked to do. He is a special teams ace and will line up at any spot on the defense if he believes it will help the team.
STRENGTHS
Minkah Fitzpatrick is an outstanding athlete with excellent balance and body control. He has the ability to plant his foot and drive to the ball while regaining his top speed in an instant. He is extremely quick with the ability to mirror defenders and match them stride for stride. He has dangerous recovery speed and range. He possesses the ability to step in and cover the slot in man coverage or play as the deep safety and utilize his instincts and speed to make plays on the ball in the air. He has good feet with the ability to transition backward and forward exceptionally fast. He is excellent in man-off coverage, as he displays the talent and physicality to knock a receiver off his route or run with them. He is capable of reading the quarterback’s eyes, and he is quick to react and undercut a route to play the ball in the air. Fitzpatrick plays with excellent awareness. He has exceptional ball skills and plays with a downhill mentality. He is incredibly urgent in the run game and has experience as an in the box linebacker playing in zone and covering the run. He is a physical athlete with the talent to explode through a ball carrier. He is always in good position and utilizes great technique. Fitzpatrick and can ride a block and use it to gain positioning on the back. He is a dangerous blitzer off the edge and can attack the line as the deep safety. He lets his instincts take over and rarely hesitates. He is a versatile weapon that loves football. Fitzpatrick is an excellent leader and will do anything to help his team succeed.
WEAKNESSES
Fitzpatrick is an outstanding athlete with quick feet and excellent speed. He is more quick than explosive and can lose a defender at the top of his route. He plays with some hip tightness that limits his lateral movements in coverage. He had a good combine workout, but his hips were too tight too often in game film. There are a few teams that are viewing Fitzpatrick as a slot corner, but he doesn’t have the necessary ability to play slot full time. His versatility will help at the next level, and he should be used in different locations along a defensive unit. He allows separation out of the receiver’s breaks and generally lets the slot run by without contact. He has excellent instincts and great awareness while in zone coverage, but he can still improve in this area. He needs to improve his reaction time when playing in zone coverage and specifically when playing as the deep safety. Fitzpatrick has a tendency to be too urgent to the ball and can lose leverage occasionally. He needs to be more patient when attacking the ball carrier.
BIG PICTURE
Fitzpatrick is a versatile player that has experience as the deep safety, in the box linebacker, slot corner or edge rusher. He will be a do everything safety at the next level, as he doesn’t possess the ability to play slot corner full time and he is exceptionally effective in every other role he plays. He has elite athleticism and the ability to play in man-off coverage or in zone using his field awareness to read the quarterback’s eyes and jump the route; however, he plays with some hip tightness that limits his lateral movements in coverage. He displays urgency in run support and utilizes excellent technique to gain position and explode through the ball carrier. He needs to develop more patience, as Fitzpatrick can become too overzealous and over pursue losing leverage in the process. He is a great blitzer off the edge and will contribute in each phase of the game. He was a special teams ace throughout his career at Bama securing 22 total coverage tackles. He possesses the ability to cover in the slot, backs coming out of the backfield or big-receiving-threat tight ends. He has consistently shined throughout his career at Alabama. His desire to succeed and his will to produce give him an edge over every other player. He has incredible versatility and character, as he was the leader of the National Championship team this past year. He will be a top pick in the 2018 NFL draft and he will be a plug and play starter from day one.