People who cover the NFL for a living almost universally agree that the Miami Dolphins landed a steal when they selected Alabama product Minkah Fitzpatrick at No. 11 overall. One person who wasn’t wild about it, however, reportedly was owner Stephen Ross.
“A well-placed league source tells us that the Dolphins had the pick of Alabama safety Minkah Fitzpatrick all ready to go at No. 11 when owner Stephen Ross stepped in and implored his team to trade back, both to acquire more picks and to save money on the first-rounder,” wrote Ben Volin of the Boston Globe. “Ross’s football people talked him out of it, and the Dolphins went ahead with the Fitzpatrick pick.”
Given the way the Dolphins dismantled their roster this offseason, it’s also understandable that Ross was keen on acquiring more picks and going for value, rather than a big splash. Ross might also be weary of spending big money on defensive players after swinging and missing on a few free agents recently.
For what it’s worth, though, Miami absolutely made the right decision in the end to select Fitzpatrick as far as this scribe is concerned. Widely considered to be a top-five player in the draft, Fitzpatrick should be an instant-impact player for the Fins as a rookie and was the player we identified as the most exciting offseason addition to the club.