Minkah Fitzpatrick's Impact on Steelers' Defense Proves Trade With Dolphins Was Absolutely Worth it

Trading away your first round pick for the next season is exactly what not to do for a 1-2 team who just lost their franchise quarterback to injury, right?

The Pittsburgh Steelers made the bold choice of doing just that and trading what looked like a surefire top pick in the 2020 NFL Draft for Minkah Fitzpatrick. And it has paid off brilliantly.

Fitzpatrick has been an instant boost to the Steelers' defense. Since making the move to Heinz Field, the former Dolphin has logged five interceptions in seven games, including a 96-yard pick six. The defensive back has 34 tackles, eight pass breakups and a forced fumble, helping morph Pittsburgh's defensive unit into one of the league's best.

What's perhaps even more important than his individual play on the field is the Steelers are back to their winning ways. The team has won four straight games, and that first round pick they sent to Miami no longer seems like a lock to be in the top 10.

Along with Devin Bush and T.J. Watt, Fitzpatrick leads a new-look defense in Pittsburgh that aims to challenge the New England Patriots for the best unit in the AFC.

Whatever doubters said about the Steelers trading for Fitzpatrick almost two months ago has become a freezing cold take as the team sits only two games behind the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC North, vastly outperforming their adjusted expectations following the loss of Big Ben.

Let's not be shy about who deserves much of the credit for the Steelers' success, as Fitzpatrick is playing like a bonafide superstar since the trade.