What Would Alabama CB Patrick Surtain II Bring to the Panthers?
The Carolina Panthers will be drafting No. 8 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft assuming they do not trade their first-round pick this offseason. There will obviously be a lot of talented players available when Carolina is on the clock in April. Among these players is Alabama's shutdown cornerback Patrick Surtain II. Alabama has consistently produced some of the most tremendous athletes that have entered the NFL in recent years. This year looks to be no different.
What Surtain II would bring to the Panthers:
The Panthers' defense surprised a lot of people in 2020. They were expected to be a total work in progress, however, they showed tremendous promise by steadily improving throughout the season. The defense has an extremely young core with DE Brian Burns, DT Derrick Brown, S Jeremy Chinn, and CB Donte Jackson all 25 years old or younger. Still, Carolina has a lot of holes to fill.
Patrick Surtain II would bring the potential of a true shutdown corner to the team. Surtain II didn't allow more than 65 receiving yards over his two full seasons at Alabama. That was against some of the best wide receivers in the SEC, college football's toughest conference. The 6-foot-2 standout player would step in as the Panthers' biggest defender in the secondary from day one. This is important to have in a division that features Michael Thomas, Julio Jones, and Mike Evans.
Surtain II could theoretically cut the field in half. In college, opposing quarterbacks were simply scared to throw his way. He would not have the same impact in the pros right away but he definitely has the potential to strike fear in offenses. Cornerback is one of the toughest positions to play in today's NFL given all of the rule changes that favor wide receivers. This makes finding a quality one extremely rare.
The only knock on Surtain II is his speed. On tape, he can often end up a step or two behind faster receivers. In college, he could usually make up for this with supreme technique and body control. This might not always get the job done against NFL level talent. His lack of speed can be mitigated by matching him up with bigger receivers that are not as quick.
Drafting Surtain II would help turn the Panthers defense into one of the best up and coming units in the league. The Los Angeles Rams finished the 2020 season ranked first in total defense due in large part to pass-rusher Aaron Donald and cornerback Jalen Ramsey. Carolina has the rare opportunity to create their own dynamic defensive duo by pairing Surtain II with Brian Burns.
The only way to stop elite quarterback play is to take away their favorite target while applying pressure at the same time. This is why the combination of Donald and Ramsey worked so well for the Rams. If the Panthers decide to draft Surtain II with their first round pick, then don't be surprised if the top ranked defense in the NFL comes out of Carolina in the near future.
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