Minkah Fitzpatrick focused on this season, not NFL Draft
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A confident smile accompanied Alabama defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick throughout his appearance at SEC Media Days on Wednesday. So did a flock of reporters, all wanting to know what the new face of the Crimson Tide’s defense had to say about this year’s team and where he would feature on it.
Fitzpatrick was selected as a first-team member of the preseason SEC Media Days All-SEC team announced Friday, tying teammate Calvin Ridley for most votes, ending up on 232 of the 243 ballots cast. That came after an All-American sophomore season which saw the 6-foot-1, 203-pound defensive back lead the SEC in interceptions with six, two of which he returned for touchdowns.
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After filling in at safety following Eddie Jackson’s season-ending injury midway through last season, Fitzpatrick started spring camp at cornerback, the position he came to Alabama to play as a five-star recruit in 2015. The switch lasted all of two weeks, as wide receiver Trevon Diggs was moved to cornerback for the Tide’s first scrimmage, bumping Fitzpatrick back to strong safety.
Fitzpatrick took the move in stride, starting at his new-found home for all three of the Tide’s scrimmages. However, Alabama’s struggles in the secondary, particularly the 661 passing yards the Tide gave up during its A-Day game, have drawn speculation as to whether or not further changes need to be made.
That led to plenty of questions as to whether or not Fitzpatrick would prefer a switch back to cornerback this fall. Although, the now veteran defensive back wasn’t taking the bait.
“I’m just comfortable on the field,” Fitzpatrick said on Wednesday.
No one would blame Fitzpatrick for wanting a switch back to his natural position. Heading into his junior season, he has found himself projected as a high first-round pick in many NFL mock drafts. Lockdown corners are a valuable asset in the NFL, and typically make more than safeties at the next level.
It’s also worth noting that Fitzpatrick has already had the opportunity to wow NFL scouts, taking advantage of a new rule which allowed him to work out in front of scouts during Alabama’s pro day in February despite not yet being draft eligible.
“All I did was the 40 and measurements,” Fitzpatrick said. “For the 40, I think I ran 4.39, 4.37. Something like that.”
Those times would have placed Fitzpatrick either fourth or fifth among cornerbacks at this year’s NFL combine. However, if he sounds nonchalant about the achievement, it’s because he is.
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Despite the fact that he will be draft eligible after this season, the NFL is the farthest thing from his mind at the moment. In its place is the constant reminder of falling one second short of a second straight national championship. Fitzpatrick was on the field when Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson hit receiver Hunter Renfrow on a 2-yard, game-winning touchdown with one second remaining in the national championship game. Now the focus is on making sure he never has to have that feeling again.
“Coming off a loss is definitely a whole lot different type of motivation,” Fitzpatrick said. “One, because you just learn a whole lot more because you learn a whole lot more from a loss than you do from a win. So I feel like definitely did learn a lot from that game and realize the things we didn’t do.”
Those shortcomings have eaten at Fitzpatrick all offseason. While normally not the most vocal member of the Tide’s defense, he’s now taking the extra step to speak up and ensure the rest of his teammates show the same amount of attention to detail toward improvement.
“It was stuff throughout the season that built up,” Fitzpatrick said. “The small things, like some people would come late to a meeting or just not wearing the right socks or something like that. It might sound crazy, but it builds up.”
On top of earning a first-team spot Friday, Fitzpatrick was also joined teammate Ronnie Harrison on the preseason watch list for the Jim Thorpe Award. The praise and accolades will continue to roll in for the standout defensive back as the season draws nearer, but so will his focus on the task at hand.
“Last year I had a leadership role, but I wasn’t the leader of the defense,” Fitzpatrick said. “This year I feel like I have to be more vocal and step into that role.”
