“The general public doesn’t seem to recognize just how productive Fitzpatrick’s been at a position where the headlines often go instead to guys like Derwin James, Jessie Bates, etc. In just under four full seasons with the Steelers, he’s totaled 17 picks and 38 pass breakups,” Benjamin writes regarding Fitzpatrick for CBSSports.com. “In other words, he’s everywhere the ball is. Joined by Patrick Peterson, he’s got the takeaway skills to throw a wrench into AFC North projections widely favoring the Bengals and Ravens.”

Fitzpatrick is regarded as one of the best safeties in the NFL overall, has earned three first-team All-Pro accolades and three trips to the Pro Bowl in his first five seasons, and already has 17 interceptions and four defensive touchdowns with the Steelers in four seasons.

The ball-hawking safety is coming off of a terrific season in 2022, tying for the league lead in interceptions with six, helping the Steelers tie for the league lead as a team overall in the process. After a down 2021 season that saw him needed in run support more, which caused a drop-off in production, leading to some questions entering 2022, he answered those questions in a massive way, returning to his turnover-creating ways once again.

Along with his six interceptions, Fitzpatrick recorded 94 tackles, tied a career high with 11 passes defensed and earned first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors once again.

Fitzpatrick is only going to get better. He’s still young – he turns 27 in November — and signed a long-term contract last offseason to keep him in Pittsburgh for the foreseeable future.

With Fitzpatrick patrolling the secondary, he’s become the point man of the Steelers’ defense as a coverage expert, one that can do anything asked of him in the secondary. He’s far and away the best safety in the NFL, and he’s consistently shown that in his time in the Black and Gold over the last four seasons.

Though there are a number of new faces around him in the secondary with the likes of veteran safety Keanu Neal, cornerbacks Patrick Peterson, Joey Porter Jr., and Cory Trice, and even linebackers Cole Holcomb and Elandon Roberts, Fitzpatrick will have them all in line and ready to go on a snap-to-snap basis.

Thanks to his play-making ways and tendency to come up clutch in massive moments, Fitzpatrick could have a massive impact on the 2023 season overall, not only for the Steelers, but in the AFC overall.