Scouting report
Information for this report was obtained from NFL scouts.
Minkah Fitzpatrick, 6-foot-1, 207 pounds, is in his third season in Pittsburgh after the Steelers traded a 2020 first-round pick to the Miami Dolphins for him during Week 3 of the 2019 season. Fitzpatrick might not have been the fit the Dolphins were looking for, but he has given the Steelers tremendous flexibility with their coverage and disguise. Fitzpatrick has 51 tackles (34 solos) this season with one pass deflection and one forced fumble. He broke up 20 passes in his first 30 games in Pittsburgh and is tied for third in the NFL with 13 takeaways since the start of the 2019 season.
“It’s going to be challenging for the Bears because Justin Fields is going to see things he’s never experienced in terms of the late movement, the disguise. What the Steelers do with Fitzpatrick is very important to this football game,” the scout said. “His ability to drop down as a robber in zone and man coverage is very important to the defensive scheme and the philosophy. He will cut crossers, jump middle-of-the-field windows. He will try to take the ball away from a young quarterback.
“His tape last year was a little more high level than it is this year. He hasn’t made as many plays this year. He hasn’t been as disruptive, but in terms of his role within that defense, I understand why they went and got him. He’s got excellent range in the post. Excellent range in the deep half. He can track the football downfield. He can finish on the football. He’s got coverage ability, so when you do want to roll him down late and spin your secondary, which they do a lot, he can become a player that now can cover down over the slot receiver or match to a tight end or match to a high-level running back. “Very fundamentally sound defensive back. He’s not a blowyou-up-at-the-point-of-attack thumper, but he is a good tackler, and what he can do in the middle of the field when they use him on those robber coverages really shows how much they believe in his football intelligence. He understands where routes break, he understands how to bait quarterbacks and he’s got natural playmaking traits that, as a coach, you can’t teach. You either have them or you don’t, and Minkah Fitzpatrick does.”