PFF Puts Broncos CB Patrick Surtain II in Elite, Rarefied Company
Quarterback is far and away the most valuable position in football. If there were a re-draft of the entire NFL this offseason, odds are, the first 10 selections would be a quarterback and possibly a vast majority of the entire first round.
Without a quarterback, your season is essentially dead on arrival before the first game even kicks off. A signal-caller stands alone in the NFL when it comes to value, but when you take away that position, which stands out as the most valuable in today’s NFL?
Pro Football Focus’ Sam Monson recently attempted to do just that by listing the top 10 non-QB players to start a franchise with. Denver Broncos All-Pro cornerback Patrick Surtain II made the list.
Surtain was good as a rookie, but he took his game to another level in his second season. This year, he played at an All-Pro level outside of one rough game against Davante Adams — arguably the game’s best receiver. Surtain plays with an elite level of patience that most corners can’t rival, and it means he’s rarely beaten for big plays. In a league waiting for the next crop of elite young corners, Surtain has the chance to lead that group.
What makes Surtain such an incredible cornerback? Outside of the incredible size and length he possesses at 6-foot-2 and 210 pounds with a 32.5-inch arm length and great explosive athleticism for his size, it's his technical prowess at such a young age that makes him such an incredibly unique player.
The other players to earn a spot on the list include Dallas Cowboys’ pass rusher Micah Parsons (who plays more edge than off-ball linebacker these days, given how valuable he is rushing the passer), Kansas City Chiefs DL Chris Jones, Cleveland Browns pass rusher Myles Garrett, San Francisco 49ers pass rusher Nick Bosa, Miami Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill, Philadelphia Eagles WR AJ Brown, Cincinnati Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase, Minnesota Vikings WR Justin Jefferson, and New York Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner.
It's perhaps a bit surprising that not a single offensive lineman made the list in comparison to four wide receivers, perhaps indicating that an elite player wideout is more valuable than an elite offensive trench position, given how the two different position groups function. For pass catchers, if one receiver 'wins' his rep and every other one 'loses,' the unit can still win.
For blockers, if one offensive lineman loses his rep but every other one 'wins,' the unit will fail. Perhaps this reality helps lead to the phrase, “an offensive line is only as good as its weakest player.”
The same principle can be applied to pass rushers vs. coverage units. Only one pass rusher needs to win for his unit to succeed, but if one great defensive back wins his rep, it won’t be as impactful if other coverage players are struggling.
Think back to the Broncos' defenses of the mid-2000s, with Champ Bailey locking down one side of the field and the corner opposite him getting picked apart by better quarterbacks. Of course, there is nuance to all of this, as an elite corner or offensive tackle makes the jobs of everyone else easier in the unit, but thinking about these units as simplified systems still applies.
According to this list, cornerback might be fourth in the positional value hierarchy behind pass rusher and wide receiver, but it is still one of the premium positions in today’s NFL. And with Surtain, the Broncos have arguably the best defensive back in the entire NFL (again, at just 22 years old).
The Broncos have work to do in improving their roster and putting themselves in the company of the better teams in the NFL after a half-decade of disappointing performances, but with Surtain on the team for the foreseeable future, they at least have one of the more valuable building blocks in the entire NFL.
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