Denver Broncos roundtable: Which players should team draft in 2021?

Shelby Manning’s “guy”: Patrick Surtain II, CB, Alabama 

Although the successful offseason produced by new general manager George Paton has given the Denver Broncos the flexibility to really do whatever they want with the ninth overall pick, they have an opportunity to upgrade any position. Realistically, the Broncos may be most likely to secure the depth they were missing at the cornerback position last season with Patrick Surtain II.

Last season, the Broncos were put in a bad position injury-wise, but the secondary unit suffered greatly. De’Vante Bausby, Duke Dawson Jr, Bryce Callahan, and Essang Bassey all missed time throughout the 2020 season.

The Broncos added key players Ronald Darby and Kyle Fuller to the mix via free agency, but it would not hurt to add more depth, which makes Surtain a perfect pick for the Broncos.

Surtain is currently one of the highest-touted defensive prospects, already rated as a Pro Bowl talent by NFL.com. He has very few weaknesses, and his top strengths are his athleticism, ability to recognize routes, and has the ability to beat the receiver in a “jump ball” situation, securing the interception almost every time. NFL.com compares him to Nnamdi Asomugha, which is a pretty high compliment.

Although the Broncos have other young and developmental corners in guys like Michael Ojemudia and Parnell Motley, it would lock down the corner position to add a guy with the sure-fire talent that Surtain already possesses. He would be a perfect fit for Fangio’s defense, and if the Broncos were struck with the injury bug once again this season, they would have a lot of depth to explore if needed.

Realistically, if the Broncos do not trade up to secure a quarterback, they cannot go wrong with using this pick to bolster down the secondary.