Report: Steelers trade 2020 first-round pick to Dolphins for Minkah Fitzpatrick
They’re joined by the Dallas Cowboys, Kansas City Chiefs, Pittsburgh Steelers, Seattle Seahawks, and Washington as the teams vying for the 22-year-old defensive back.
Minkah Fitzpatrick is headed to Pennsylvania, just not to Philadelphia.
The Steelers are sending the Miami Dolphins a 2020 first-round pick to acquire the second-year defensive back, according to ESPN.
The defensive back was an unhappy camper on the dumpster fire Miami Dolphins and was given permission to seek a trade away from the team that seems to be playing for the future.
CBS Sports reported earlier Mnoday that the Eagles were among the teams “in the mix" for Fitzpatrick. The Dallas Cowboys, Kansas City Chiefs, Seattle Seahawks, and Washington were also involved, but the Steelers won the bidding war.
The Steelers’ big acquisition comes on the same day they announced starting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger will miss the rest of the season with an elbow injury. They’ll go with rookie quarterback Mason Rudolph in Roethlisberger’s absence. The Dolphins were likely enticed by the possibility of Rudolph’s learning curve costing the Steelers wins and thus improving the team’s first-round pick.
After taking the safety from Alabama with the No. 11 pick in the 2018 NFL draft, and he’s proven quickly that he belongs in the NFL. He’s a versatile player who can play both cornerback and safety. Last season, he had two interceptions and 80 tackles playing multiple positions in a poor Miami defense.
While a first-round pick is a high price for a player already in the NFL, the Steelers would argue grabbing an elite young talent with three years left on his rookie contract is more valuable than any player they’d expect to grab in this year’s draft.