'Very Pleased' Vic Fangio Provides Progress Report on Rookie CB Patrick Surtain II
On the night of the first round of the 2021 NFL draft, the Denver Broncos patiently waited in hopes that the team's most coveted prospect in the class would fall to pick No. 9. When the Carolina Panthers selected South Carolina's Jaycee Horn, the Broncos could rest assured that Alabama cornerback Patrick Surtain II would in fact be there.
The Broncos got their guy.
Surtain arrived in Denver on the heels of the team making two tectonic free-agent additions in the form of Kyle Fuller and Ronald Darby. Adding Surtain to the mix bolstered a position that had suddenly gone from being a glaring weakness last fall to an unmitigated roster strength.
Surtain earned some points, no doubt, for resisting the NFLPA's pressure to skip rookie mini-camp as a high-profile top-10 draft pick and quickly set about the process of assimilating the Broncos' playbook and asserting himself as a young leader among the rookies and first-year players.
Last week, head coach Vic Fangio got to see how Surtain would comport himself with the veterans on the field as the Broncos held three voluntary OTA practices. The process continued on Monday, giving Coach Fangio even more opportunity to see his shiny first-rounder compete and brush shoulders with the likes of Courtland Sutton and Jerry Jeudy.
“He’s responded very well. He’s coachable, has a good football mind and obviously has a good football background from his days in college," Fangio said of Surtain. "He’s grown up around football and you can see that. He’s very calm, and I don’t mean calm as a flatline. He doesn’t get flustered and he’s a very good competitor. He uses his physical attributes well. We’ve been very pleased with him up to this point.”
Veteran corner Bryce Callahan concurs with Coach Fangio's read on Surtain. After seeing the former Crimson Tide standout in-person for the better part of the week, Callahan is impressed.
“He's a baller. Just from what I've seen so far, he has great size and he's a big corner," Callahan said of Surtain. "He's disciplined in his technique and he's learning the defense—multiple positions—really fast, which, in this defense, is rare for a rookie. Hats off to him.”
Last week, star linebacker Von Miller gaped at Surtain's 6-foot-2 size and how physical he is at cornerback. The eight-time Pro Bowler marveled that, with how long and strong he is, Surtain should be rushing quarterbacks with Miller.
“This Patrick Surtain II, this ‘PS2’ guy, he’s the real deal," Miller said last week. "There are a couple times where I look over my shoulder just to see who’s out there at receiver, left and right checking out the formation, and I see this guy standing out there. I’m like, ‘Bro, this guy is taller than me. Is he supposed to be inside? He’s supposed to be rushing. This guy is supposed to be rushing.’ He’s the real deal and he’s a specimen."
So far so good for Surtain. While the proof of the pudding won't be divined until September at the soonest, the Broncos are happy to see Surtain meeting every expectation laid before him thus far.
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