Broncos' Patrick Surtain II Voted NFL's 7th-Best CB in ESPN Poll of Players & Coaches
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In one year as a pro, Denver Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain II has made a name for himself. Drafted No. 9 overall out of Alabama last year, Surtain quickly became a starter and not long after, the Broncos' de facto No. 1 corner.
ESPN recently polled NFL executives, coaches, and players to rank the best players at each position and Surtain checked in at No. 7.
These are the elite names of the NFL at corner and Surtain is already among them. He finished his rookie year as a 15-game starter, totaling 58 tackles (45 solo), four interceptions, and 14 pass break-ups. He returned one of those picks to the house.
It was enough to be considered for postseason accolades but despite earning enough votes to be an alternate, Surtain didn't garner what it took to make the Pro Bowl. That was then.
Now, the 22-year-old is more seasoned and enters Year 2 with even more momentum. Throw in the arrival of Russell Wilson in Denver and the Broncos will be putting more offensive pressure on opponents, which plays into the opportunistic hands of Surtain.
Surtain's confidence is growing.
“Confidence and just recognizing play concepts," Surtain said during OTAs. "[I’m] getting locked in with film study and understanding tendencies and stuff like that. That’s something that I’ve grown in throughout these OTAs compared to last year."
Look out, NFL.
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