After one game in his second season, Denver Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain II has already proved to be an elite cornerback in the NFL. What I believe we are witnessing is the emergence of the next Jalen Ramsey, Richard Sherman, or even someone better.
Patrick Surtain II is already an elite cornerback, and he picked up right where he left off after his incredible 2021 rookie season, which should have led to a Pro Bowl. In his first game of the 2022 season, he was tasked with lining up opposite DK Metcalf, who is the most physically imposing receiver in the NFL.
Denver Broncos CB Patrick Surtain II showed his lockdown abilities
The 6’4″, 235-pound specimen was held to just seven receptions for 36 yards, and that was with Geno Smith carving up the Broncos’ defense for most of the game. For reference, Metcalf averaged four receptions for 65 yards in each of his first three seasons. Surtain was able to limit him a ton in the passing game.
Even as a rookie, Patrick Surtain II was stellar. According to PFF in an article written before the 2022 season, they rank him as the 11th-best cornerback in football. They also note that he allowed over 60 yards just once last season and had the most combined interceptions and pass breakups of anyone in his draft class.
Additionally, mentioned by David Carr for NFL.com, he noted that, according to PFF, Surtain allowed the second-lowest passer rating (69.7) in coverage last season among 42 qualified players. Carr ranks him as the fifth-best cornerback in the NFL in an article released last month.
His size allows him to run with some of the bigger receivers in the NFL, and he notched four interceptions in his rookie season, which was one of the top numbers in the NFL. He’s quickly become the anchor of the Denver Broncos secondary and is clearly the best player in that unit.
His intelligence and technique are already one of the best combinations in the NFL. At this point, I think we should be talking about Surtain earning an All-Pro nod this season. Let’s also not forget to mention that he’s an insane athlete, running a 4.42 40-yard dash and jumping 39 inches.
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I’m not sure there’s a weakness in his game, and he’s already an elite cornerback.