Widely regarded as the most versatile defensive player in this year's draft, Alabama safety Minkah Fitzpatrick was first off the board for the Crimson Tide on Thursday night.

The Miami Dolphins selected the junior with the 11th overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. He'll join his former teammate Kenyan Drake in South Beach.

Fitzpatrick picked Alabama as a five-star prospect out of New Jersey and made an impact immediately in Tuscaloosa. He finished his first season as a Freshman All-American and earned Freshman All-SEC honors after recording 45 tackles, two defensive touchdowns, and a blocked punt.

He ended his Alabama career with another national championship and numerous awards, but the most impressive might have been winning the Bednarik and Thorpe awards in the same season. That had happened just twice in the history of NCAA football before he accomplished it in 2017. Fitzpatrick was also chosen to be one of the team's permanent captains and was honored as last weekend's A-Day game.

Draft analysts have been high on the defensive back for a while now after he showed the ability to play every position in Nick Saban's secondary, but there's no consensus on which position he'll play in the NFL.

Alabama football has now produced at least one first round pick in 10 straight drafts, joining the Miami Hurricanes as the only two programs to ever accomplish that feat.

 

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