Vegas: Fitzpatrick A Favorite For Defensive ROTY Award

Fitzpatrick is far from a dark horse to be the defensive rookie of 2018

Vegas gives the Dolphins some love

The ‘public at large’ isn’t giving the Dolphins good odds for success this upcoming season. Even the fanbase is split on what to expect in 2018. The only true believers are the Dolphins coaches and players… and the Die Hard Fans, of course.

However, Vegas likes the odds for Minkah Fitzpatrick to be Rookie of the Year on Defense.

At the moment, Minkah is tied for 3^rd overall favorite in terms of odds to win Defensive Rookie of the Year at +750. That means if you risk $100 with the pay per head reviews like AcePerHead.com for Minkah to win the defensive ROTY, then you can win $750… if he wins that honor. The current favorites are Bradley Chubb at +150, Roquan Smith at +450, and Denzel Ward also at +750.

Miami Dolphins News fans aren’t crazy about Vegas’ chances for the Dolphins success this season. But, it’s nice to see that they at least recognize the potential of Minkah in the NFL. A little ‘feel good’ never hurts.

So far, Bobby McCain has raved about Minkah. Fitzpatrick has gotten his hands on a pick in every OTA’s so far.

The top of the Dolphins defense has been terrible over the years

When you think of the best free safeties in the league most people think of the Seahawks Earl Thomas. Minkah has a very similar skill set as Thomas. If Minkah can be even 80% of Thomas then our defense is going to be in great shape. Top-notch, Single-High Safeties are very rare… and if the Phins ‘D’ have one it’s a cause for celebration.

I’m super excited to see Minkah in action. There’s so much to like about him: skill set, work ethic, and football IQ. He checks just about every box, if not every one. The biggest question is, how quickly does the game slow down for him? No matter how good he is or will be, he’s still a rookie. There will be a learning curve as he gets acquainted with NFL speed. Also, pro QB’s make you pay on even the smallest mental mistake. His mental chess match against opposing QBs will be his greatest hurdle.

Nothing has been too big for Minkah up till this point of his football career. Playing on an Alabama team that’s almost as good as a pro team won’t hurt his chances either. So you’d figure as long as he continues to do what got him here, then there is a very good chance he can be a special player. The Dolphins need as many of those as they can get. A.J. Duhe and Tim Bowens are the Dolphins only Defensive DROY in their history. Will Fitzpatrick be Miami’s 3rd?

What are the rest of the Miami Dolphins thoughts of Minkah being a real candidate to win the Defensive Rookie of the year?