Round 1 (9): CB Patrick Surtain II, Alabama
Yes, the Denver Broncos struggled at the cornerback position in 2020. Yes, the Denver Broncos signed cornerbacks Kyle Fuller (1 year) and Ronald Darby (3 years).
So, why a cornerback in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft?
Denver struggled with injuries throughout the season, and the cornerback position was struck hard, with A.J. Bouye missing time, and Bryce Callahan too.
Now, Bouye is gone and one of the biggest mistakes the Broncos can make is to trust in Callahan to stay healthy. You can’t guarantee any player will stay healthy. Depth is crucial and you can never have too many cornerbacks.
Now, the Broncos get the top cornerback off the board at nine overall.
With this being a defense-only mock draft, the Broncos could have gone with linebacker Micah Parsons to add to the middle of their defense, but with his off-field concerns, I passed.
They also could have gone with another stellar cornerback in Jaycee Horn. I just think that they would choose Surtain.