Patrick Surtain II rightfully ranked as NFL's top CB by league personnel
Patrick Surtain II is the best CB in the NFL, and that was confirmed by ESPN Jeremy Fowler's yearly rankings by NFL executives, coaches, and scouts. Below is how these various NFL personnel ranked the top 10 cornerbacks in the NFL. And as you can imagine, some of the most knowledgeable football minds in the history of the world rightfully have Patrick Surtain II as the best.
Top 10 NFL Cornerbacks according to coaches, executives and scouts.
— The GOAT House (@GoatHouseNFL) July 18, 2024
1. Patrick Surtain II
2. Denzel Ward
3. Sauce Gardner
4. L’Jarius Sneed
5. Jalen Ramsey
6. Trent McDuffie
7. Jaire Alexander
8. Jaylon Johnson
9. Devon Witherspoon
10. Derek Stingley Jr
Surprising list. No… pic.twitter.com/8WUHrPZLFJ
These rankings are done on a yearly basis and are run by Jeremy Fowler of ESPN. Not only is Surtain ranked no. 1, but the so-called best CB in the NFL, Sauce Gardner, actually comes in at no. 3, behind Denzel Ward of the Cleveland Browns. It's pretty clear that Gardner is someone who gets the New York media bump since he plays for the Jets.
Execs, scouts, coaches rank Top 10 cornerbacks:
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) July 18, 2024
*Denzel Ward, L'Jarius Sneed make huge jumps
*Sauce Gardner polarizing -- some view as best, others kept out of top 10 altogether
*Young stars taking out established vetshttps://t.co/mUlQWnUQli
Surtain is the best CB in the NFL, as he's the most well-rounded at his position. The Denver Broncos first-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Surtain is likely to sign a mega-extension with the Broncos at some point in the near future, as the team did just lock-up Quinn Meinerz on a long-term deal, who also comes from the 2021 NFL Draft.
Heading into the 2024 NFL Season, Patrick Surtain II will continue to anchor the Denver Broncos secondary, and he could play even better if the team can find a viable CB2 to start opposite him. The team saw slot cornerback Ja'Quan McMillian emerge in 2023, and this came after former CB K'Waun Williams could not get healthy.
Surtain should also emerge as the vocal leader of this unit, as Justin Simmons is no longer with the team. This should be quite easy for Surtain, who is still only 24 years old. Broncos General Manager George Paton clearly made the right call by taking Surtain in the 2021 NFL Draft. Both Justin Fields and Mac Jones were still on the board, but Paton clearly stuck to his methods and took Surtain.