(Note: Today begins our annual, occasional series spotlighting members of the team individually. In addition to reliving highlights and lowlights of the past season for each, we'll provide analysis and criticism, plus take a look at how each player fits — or doesn't fit — into the team's plans for 2019.)

DB Minkah Fitzpatrick

Height, weight: 6-1, 202

College: Alabama

Age: Will turn 23 in November

Experience: Second NFL season, both with Dolphins

Acquired: First-round pick (11th overall) in 2018

Contract: In second year of four-year rookie contract; due to earn $3.7 million this season

Pro Football Focus rank: 79th of 112 (at cornerback)

In 2018

Stats: 79 tackles, two interceptions

Notable moments: Made 10 tackles and intercepted a pass at New England. Intercepted a pass by Minnesota’s Kirk Cousins and returned it 50 yards for a touchdown while starting in place of injured CB Xavien Howard.

Straight talk: The Dolphins’ roster says Fitzpatrick is a safety.

Pro Football Focus thinks he’s a cornerback.

Fitzpatrick clears it up as best he can: “A football player.”

By putting “DB” in front of his name on this report, we assumed we were taking the safe route. Then we remembered hearing coach Brian Flores mention that Fitzpatrick might pop up at linebacker. At this point, the only thing we’re somewhat comfortable saying is that Fitzpatrick will not be alternating positions with the other Fitzpatrick on the roster.

The truth is, the Dolphins took the safe route when they selected him in the first round last year. Now, they know they have a keeper with ample room to grow, the kind of player who should anchor the secondary, along with Xavien Howard, for a decade. The more freedom Fitzpatrick has to roam, the more quarterbacks have to seek him out before every snap.

“He’ll play corner, he’ll play linebacker, he’ll play free safety, he’ll play strong safety, he’ll play nickel,” Flores said. “He’ll be all over the place. I think in all those different roles, I think he’s done an OK job kind of learning all of those positions.”

Fitzpatrick has the smarts to absorb all those responsibilities and has taken everything thrown at him and remained unfazed. He seems to embrace the challenge.

“Harder, but it’s worth it,” Fitzpatrick said of learning multiple roles. “You get to make more plays.”

He added, “The type of defense that we’re projected to run, you’ve got to be versatile. You have to move around. I don’t think anybody in the secondary is going to just be sitting at one spot. You might sit at one spot in one game and then the next you’ll be in a different spot.”

Prospects for 2019

This Dolphins season will be all about watching young players develop and grow into roles created by the new coaching staff. Although QB Josh Rosen will be the focal point of the work in progress all season, Fitzpatrick deserves attention on the defensive side.

Assuming you’re willing to put forth the effort of finding him on each play.

“It may look like he’s playing cornerback, he’s playing safety, he could be playing linebacker. It depends,” Flores joked to reporters. “I’ll know what he’s doing. You guys probably won’t.”

hhabib@pbpost.com

@gunnerhal