The Dolphins certainly found themselves a hit with 2018 1st-round pick Minkah Fitzpatrick. The Alabama product was able to make a lot of impact plays for the Dolphins last season, highlighting his versatility and football intelligence.
But that versatility was something of a double edged sword for the Dolphins last season. Fitzpatrick was used all over the field, which prevented him from settling into his role as an every-down player early in the season. His snap percentage leveled out down the stretch, but the question begs to be asked: where does he play long-term?
We apparently have our answer. Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald has reported that the Dolphins view Fitzpatrick as a safety in the long-term.
That is a good decision for the staff, considering his ball skills and range on the back-end of the defense.
The presence of T.J. McDonald and Reshad Jones make plugging Fitzpatrick into a permanent place in the line-up does make things complicated, but the team is poised to drop off a lot of extra dead weight this off-season.
That could feasibly include McDonald or (to a lesser degree) Jones. Putting Minkah on the back-end also helps to boost the nickel position, as Bobby McCain is freed to work back in the slot.
The immediate concern in the secondary now lies with extending CB Xavien Howard and securing a permanent starter opposite Howard for 2019 and beyond.
