Dolphins Take Minkah Fitzpatrick, Twitter Erupts for 1 of Nick Saban's Favorites

Former Alabama defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick will bring his polished pedigree to the Miami Dolphins after they selected him 11th overall in the first round of the 2018 NFL draft Thursday. 

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport thought the Dolphins were happy to see Fitzpatrick still on the board:

Fox Sports' Bruce Feldman and CBS Sports noted Fitzpatrick continues a trend for Alabama defensive backs:

Here's how others reacted to the pick:

A three-year starter, Fitzpatrick emerged as one of the nation's standout secondary talents during his time with the Crimson Tide. Between 2015 and 2017, the versatile defensive back nabbed nine interceptions—four of which were returned four touchdowns—totaled 16.5 tackles for loss and registered five sacks.

As those figures indicate, Fitzpatrick is capable of defending receivers out on an island, covering slot weapons, blitzing from all angles or playing down in the box. 

The 2017 Chuck Bednarik Award winner was also lauded for his work in the film room and on the practice field.

"He's very conscientious, pays attention to detail, very disciplined, understands the importance of preparation," Alabama head coach Nick Saban told ESPN.com's Ivan Maisel. "He's not one of these guys that just thinks, 'I can go out there and make plays without doing things the right way.'"

Thanks to those qualities, Fitzpatrick earned a rave review from one AFC executive.

"He's not quite on the same level of [New York Jets safety] Jamal Adams when it comes to changing the entire culture of a locker room, but he is just as talented and probably more versatile," the exec told NFL Media's Lance Zierlein.

Fitzpatrick will be a big help for a team that struggled against the pass in 2017. The Dolphins were 16th in pass defense (225.2 yards per game) but 29th in pass defense efficiency, according to Football Outsiders.