Raiders Opponent Defensive Star: CB Pat Surtain II

The Las Vegas Raiders will take on the Denver Broncos in Week 1 to begin the regular season this Sunday.

One player who Coach Josh McDaniels is going to be game planning for heavily is cornerback Pat Surtain II. Surtain has developed into one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL since the Broncos selected him at No. 9 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft.

So far in his NFL career, Surtain has posted 118 total tackles, three tackles for losses, 24 passes defended and six interceptions. He was named First-Team All-Pro and a Pro Bowler last season.

Surtain stands at 6-foot-2 and weighs 202 pounds, giving him elite size to match up with some of the best wide receivers in football. He has answered the call through his first two seasons in the NFL, as he was targeted at the lowest rate in the NFL last season at only 12.5 percent, according to Next Gen Stats.

The Raiders have an answer for Surtain in the form of Davante Adams, but even he has had his problems with Surtain in the past. When he lined up against the star corner, Adams caught just four passes in their first match-up, and just two in their second, although one was for a touchdown.

Adams will once again draw Surtain for two games, and Surtain has been able to stick with him despite Adams being one of the best route runners in the NFL and possessing great size.

Surtain measures up well against him, and his length, athleticism and excellent footwork may cause problems for Adams for another season. No matter who comes out on top, this cornerback-wide receiver match-up is one of the best in the NFL.

In that first match-up with Adams, Surtain posted a great game overall with eight tackles and two passes defended. It was his highest single-game tackle performance in 2022.

While the Raiders have ample pass catchers to throw at the Broncos’ defense, McDaniels will be spending a little extra time figuring out how to slow down Surtain.

Not many coaches have been able to figure him out yet, and it will be interesting to see how they game plan for one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL.

The Silver and Black open the regular season at the Denver Broncos on Sunday, Sept. 10, at 4:25 p.m. EDT/1:25 p.m. PDT.

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