The Pittsburgh Steelers traded their first-round draft pick for Minkah Fitzpatrick during the 2019 season. It has been a wildly successful move by any measure. Fitzpatrick’s stellar play has been a bright spot since he arrived. Despite what the folks at EA Sports and Pro Football Focus think, Fitzpatrick has been the best safety in the NFL since he arrived in Pittsburgh.
Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune / TNS
Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick celebrating after a tackle in a Nov. 8, 2021, win over the Chicago Bears
DeWayne Brown founded 2Tenths Speed & Agility in 2004. Brown has worked with multiple athletes over the last 19 years. He has trained Damar Hamlin, Miles Sanders, and former Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald. His training methods have been credited by Donald for helping him improve his speed and conditioning.
Brown joined Adam Crowley on the The Fan Morning Show on Thursday to discuss some of his training methods and the athletes he has trained. After Brown finished raving about Donald and Hamlin, Crowley asked him about some current Steelers like fan favorite, George Pickens.
Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (Twitter: @JSKO_PHOTO)
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver, George Pickens goes up to make a catch in warmups before facing the New Orleans Saints on November 13, 2022.
“He is extremely athletic,” Brown said. “He came to me with a session with Minkah Fitzpatrick [and] Najee Harris. He can make a lot of plays, near the end zone. I’m expecting him to have a big year coming up.”
It is good to see the team leaders bringing Pickens into the fold. Najee Harris working on his speed is a positive sign that he intends to explode in year three. Brown gave Pickens faint praise however, compared to his assessment of Fitzpatrick. He gave the Steelers safety a rave review.
“Minkah Fitzpatrick out of any guy that I have trained,” Brown observed. “I’ve never seen nobody with feet that looks like it does not touch the ground. It looks like he is floating on air. Literally, I have never seen anything in my life like it.”
Crowley is quick to point out that Fitzpatrick is a gym rat. He is known for working very hard in the film room too. Fitzpatrick is of course a gifted athlete to be playing in the NFL. Brown indicated that Fitzpatrick may be operating at a higher level than he is being given credit for by some experts.
“Listen, when I had him doing the drills, it is so different,” Brown continued. “There are levels, like Aaron, there is levels even when other NFL guys come in. Aaron is on that other level. He makes people uncomfortable when they are training around him. It is all about the work they put in.”
Mark Alberti /Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Steelers' Minkah Fitzpatrick leaps high for an interception
Brown’s praise of Fitzpatrick for being at an elite level like Donald is an impressive assessment of the Pittsburgh safety. It is rare to pair the mental and physical at such a high level. It also bodes well for Fitzpatrick as he ages that his knowledge of the game will keep him at an elite level, even if his athletic gifts start to erode.
Steelers' Minkah Fitzpatrick Gets Angry At Cam Heyward Over Penalty, Then Gets Even
Fitzpatrick’s leadership of the defensive unit has emerged over the last two seasons. The young veteran safety is a leading candidate for taking over for Cam Heyward when he eventually retires. Fitzpatrick challenged Heyward directly last season after a 15-yard penalty against the Baltimore Ravens, proving he has the right attitude for the job.
Photo Credit: Karl Roser/Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick races to the endzone for a pick-six in the Week 1 victory over the Bengals.
The All-Pro safety is not just leading on defense. Harris and Pickens are who many Steelers fans hope will become star playmakers. Harris was already known for being a workout warrior, but this training is specifically meant to increase your speed and durability. Pickens might already be the best combat catch receiver in the NFL, adding more explosion at the line of scrimmage could allow him to become a superstar.
The Steelers will be counting on big seasons from all three players in 2023. The season begins in less than two months and training camp is a week away. If Pickens and Harris can join Fitzpatrick on that elite level, the sky is the limit for Pittsburgh.
What do you think, Steeler Nation? Do you think Fitzpatrick can become the next Steelers Defensive Player of the Year? Please comment below or on my Twitter @thebubbasq.
#SteelerNation
