Dolphins fans are hopeful that Miami’s move to bring Minkah Fitzpatrick back home to South Beach pays off in a big way in 2025.

The deal ensures that Miami still has star power roaming throughout its defensive backfield even despite the departure of cornerback Jalen Ramsey. ESPN said the Dolphins aced the trade.

Plenty of those in the know are a fan of what the 28-year-old Fitzpatrick can deliver in 2025. ESPN surveyed league executives, coaches and scouts to find out which safeties they liked best in the league.

Fitzpatrick earned the No. 9 spot.

“He still has a lot to offer — incredibly hard worker, tone-setter, super solid running things on the back end and preventing big plays, things that go unnoticed,” an NFL coordinator said. “I’m expecting a bounce-back year from him.” – ESPN survey

Though Fitzpatrick has dropped from No. 1 to No. 4 to No. 9 in the rankings over the past three years, the five-time Pro Bowler still garners enough respect to crack this top 10.

Fitzpatrick joins names such as Kyle Hamilton, Brian Branch and Xavier McKinney inside the top 10.

The 6-foot-1, 207-pound safety had a pair of interceptions and nine passes defensed with the Dolphins during his rookie season in 2018. Fitzpatrick had a 50-yard pick-six against the Vikings during that rookie campaign.

Fitzpatrick would morph into the league’s top safety during his time in Pittsburgh. In 2022, Fitzpatrick led the NFL in interceptions with six. During the 2019-22 seasons in Pittsburgh, Fitzpatrick registered 17 interceptions, 38 passes defended and 356 tackles.

In 27 starts across the past two seasons, Fitzpatrick has recorded just the lone interception and seven passes defended. But, ESPN’s survey shows that there’s still optimism that Fitzpatrick has more elite play left in the tank.

This article originally appeared on Dolphins Wire: Survey says: Dolphins’ Minkah Fitzpatrick still among elite safeties