Broncos Select Cowboys Target Patrick Surtain With No. 9 Pick In NFL Draft
After a long offseason of speculation, the Dallas Cowboys 2021 NFL Draft decision was adjusted yet again on Thursday night when the Denver Broncos selected South Carolina cornerback Patrick Surtain with the No. 9 overall pick.
Denver now unites Surtain with former Alabama teammate Jerry Jeudy in Denver, where the two will be cornerstones on both sides of the ball.
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A consensus five-star prospect who was tabbed as the top cornerback nationally by all major recruiting outlets; helped lead American Heritage High School to back-to-back state titles.
Surtain was coached by his father, Patrick Surtain Sr., who was a three-time Pro Bowl selection from 2002-04 with the Miami Dolphins. The elder Surtain also played seven seasons for the Dolphins (1998-2004) and four with the Kansas City Chiefs from 2005-2008.
You can view NFLDraftBible.com's scouting report of Surtain below:
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A lengthy, tough, physical corner, Surtain thrives in press coverage and owns strong bloodlines (his father, Patrick Sr., played over a decade in the NFL).
Surtain owns rare height and long arms, along with excellent reactionary speed, and shows a natural feel no matter where he lines up. Surtain has played primarily outside, but has also lined up at the star/nickel back position, in addition to playing all special teams for the Crimson Tide.
Alabama associate defensive coordinator/safeties coach Charles Kelly has compared Surtain to Jalen Ramsey (Rams), whom he coached at Florida State. His mental acumen has been one of his most improved areas, being able to dissect routes and make pre-snap reads/adjustments.
Surtain does an exceptional job creating turnovers via interceptions and more impressively, causing fumbles with his punch technique, in addition to getting his hands on a bunch of deflections. He anticipates well and has outstanding balance, he doesn’t feel out of position when he breaks on the ball, shows fluid hips, great instincts and quick feet.
Surtain has been timed at 4.50 in the 40, which is an outstanding time for his size. It’s no surprise he made an immediate impact in Tuscaloosa, not allowing a single touchdown in 771 snaps as a freshman and providing a lockdown presence ever since.
Surtain has work to do in the run game, but his lockdown capabilities make him more than worthy of the No. 10 overall pick.
With Surtain now off of the board, Dallas will likely move to trade back in the first round and acquire additional draft capital.
