Not that we needed confirmation that Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick has been worth trading a first-rounder for, but NFL Network analyst Adam Rank noted as much during a debate on which team has the best secondary.
Rank, who is a staunch Chicago Bears fan, voiced his opinion that the NFL’s best secondary belongs to the Black and Gold:
The Pittsburgh Steelers have the best secondary in football. I say this even with Terrell Edmunds still entrenched at strong safety. He’s the Paul Roma of the Steelers’ Four Horsemen in the defensive backfield, which is led by safety Minkah Fitzpatrick. I know a lot of people were stunned when the Steelers offered a first-round pick for Fitzpatrick, but he’s proven to be a worthy investment. If he isn’t the best safety in the game, he’s clearly in the conversation. And the Steelers also have an exceptional group of corners that includes Joe Haden, Steven Nelson and Mike Hilton. All three guys landed in Pro Football Focus’ top 25 cornerbacks last season, and in case you didn’t know, Nelson ranked seventh. Back to Edmunds for a second. I understand Steelers fans’ frustration with the former first-round pick many thought was a reach, but he’s still a really young player and showed great strides last year playing opposite Minkah. And Edmunds doesn’t have to break out into stardom — if he can become a replacement-level player, this secondary is going to be one of the league’s best in years.
The outcome of the trade continues into the 2021 draft, as the Steelers included a sixth-round pick; however, the Dolphins packaged a seventh-round selection to balance out the future selections aspect.
The trade resulted in five interceptions (one for a 96-yard touchdown), two forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries (one for a score). Between Fitzpatrick and Edmunds, Haden, Nelson and Hilton, the Steelers secondary was one of the most feared in the league in 2019. Expect that trend to continue in 2020.
Rank’s NFLN colleagues Charley Casserly, David Carr, Maurice Jones-Drew, Cynthia Frelund and Brian Baldinger all played devil’s advocate and did not agree with Rank’s position. Instead, the rival Baltimore Ravens was the team most discussed as having the league’s best secondary.
That’s ok. Opinions don’t matter — the Steelers play on the field will speak for itself come September.
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