Bishop Fitzgerald's Case as the USC Trojans' Biggest NFL Draft Sleeper

Heading into the 2026 NFL Draft, NFL scouts, coaches, and general managers are doing their final projections and position rankings for the draft prospects. However, the NFL could be undervaluing USC Trojans safety Bishop Fitzgerald and what he could bring to an NFL defense.

What NFL Scouts Are Missing USC Trojans Safety Bishop Fitzgerald 2026 NFL Draft High-End Production Coverage Instincts — Feb 27, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Southern California defensive back Bishop Fitzgerald (DB35) during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Bishop Fitzgerald’s High-End Production

As a safety for the Trojans, Fitzgerald consistently showed his ability to be very productive in generating turnovers as well as making tackles all over the field.

In 2025, Fitzgerald totaled 51 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, one sack, eight pass breakups, and five interceptions. Throughout last season, Fitzgerald was constantly making plays on and around the ball, which is something that can often be very attractive to NFL scouts on the defensive side of the ball.

In addition to his production at USC, Fitzgerald was also very productive in his two-year stint with NC State. From 2023 to 2024, he totaled 97 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, 16 pass breakups, five interceptions, and one forced fumble.

The main takeaway from Fitzgerald in his college career is that no matter where he was, he produced at a very high level, especially when it came to generating turnovers. Finding a player who can consistently find ways to take the ball away from the offense is huge and has the opportunity to completely change games.

Standing at 5-11 and 205 pounds, Fitzgerald also has the frame to play corner on the outside and play nickel corner in the slot. To truly find a place in the NFL, players, especially on the defensive side of the ball, have to be open to positional versatility, and with his ability to make plays, that could be something that really helps Fitzgerald to find a landing spot.

Coverage Instincts

As a result of his high-end productivity, Fitzgerald was also able to develop great instincts when it came to tracking the ball. As a safety roaming the middle of the field, Fitzgerald has a view of everything in front of him and can quickly diagnose what the offense is doing.

These instincts have enabled him to have great closing ability on shorter throws to break up passes, get interceptions, and make tackles to limit the yards after catch.

Having these instincts to limit what offenses can do in the short passing game is a great trait to have, as many offenses look to create explosive plays after the catch in the NFL.

In addition to having great instincts in the quick passing game, Fitzgerald can also track the ball very well, which helps him to take advantage of overthrows and underthrows from quarterbacks in a variety of situations.

As a safety, having instincts is one of the most important things to possess in order to be successful with the next level.

Based on the current projections for the NFL Draft later this month, Fitzgerald is projected to be a later-round prospect. However, his ball skills and consistent production could be a great addition for NFL defenses looking to add more playmaking ability in the secondary.

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