I can appreciate an underappreciated player as much as the next guy but CBS Sports seems to have gone off course with their selection for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Author Cody Benjamin put together a list of each team’s most underappreciated player who is not “nationally recognized” but should be. Despite that qualifier, he still named Minkah Fitzpatrick as the Steelers most overlooked choice.
Explaining why, he wrote:
“We rave about Derwin James and Justin Simmons and Jessie Bates, but this guy should probably lead every conversation about top safeties. While Pat Freiermuth and Cameron Heyward are also worthy candidates here, Fitzpatrick has been an absolute ball-hawking machine since arriving in Pittsburgh, with 17 picks and 38 pass breakups in just under four full seasons.”
There’s no debate about Fitzpatrick’s talent but I’m not sure anyone is raving about Jessie Bates before they get to Fitzpatrick. He’s appeared at or near the top on every “top safety” list made this offseason and received national attention in 2022 by being named to his third Pro Bowl and third All-Pro team. He’s coming off a great 2022 campaign, ending the year with a career-high six interceptions.
As trendy as it is to have an us-against-the-world mentality for every Steeler, it’s hard to make that case with Fitzpatrick. He was a five-star recruit and #1 player from New Jersey coming out of high school, played on the most well-known college football team in Alabama, became a first round pick, and has earned a rare amount of accolades over his NFL career. The guy has never been overlooked or underappreciated, making him a weird choice.
Selecting Heyward wouldn’t have made much more sense either. Freiermuth is a better option though he’s still considered a top ten tight end by most outlets. Choosing someone like center Mason Cole or perhaps even outside linebacker Alex Highsmith, buried down on a long list of great AFC rushers (including teammate T.J. Watt, who earned a Pro Bowl over him last season) would’ve been a wiser selection.
Around the AFC North, Benjamin chose C Tyler Linderbaum for the Baltimore Ravens, DE Trey Hendrickson for the Cincinnati Bengals, and S Rodney McLeod for the Cleveland Browns. Three names that make a lot more sense than Fitzpatrick.
