Amongst all the chaos, NFL insider Jordan Schultz is looking at the bright side of things for the Denver Broncos. That bright spot is none other than Patrick Surtain II.
Last Wednesday, Surtain was announced as the only Broncos player selected as a starter to play in the 2023 Pro Bowl. He is the first Denver cornerback chosen since Chris Harris Jr. in 2018 and the first to be picked in just his second year playing. Safety Justin Simmons was selected as an alternate.
In his latest piece for The Score, Schultz quoted an unnamed NFL executive who had this to say about Surtain: “He’s one of the best defensive players in the league, period. There’s nothing he can’t do.”
Schultz also followed it up with a Tweet describing him as an “absolute monster.”
Second-year #Broncos corner Patrick Surtain II is an absolute monster! 👾https://t.co/Z81xpyDpZR pic.twitter.com/PLQdNjnjX6
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) December 28, 2022
Pro Football Focus jumped in with their own praise for the second-year corner. They listed Surtain as the 7th highest-graded player this year from his 2021 Draft Class.
Highest-graded players from the 2021 Draft Class pic.twitter.com/nVWBkWbnmI
— PFF (@PFF) December 29, 2022
PFF gave him an impressive overall grade of 84.3 for his play this season. That ranks Surtain second among all cornerbacks in the league. He is only behind New York Jets rookie Sauce Gardner, who has an 88.0.
In 15 games this season, Surtain has gone up against some of the league’s top receivers, including DK Metcalf, Deebo Samuel, and Mike Williams. So far, he has only allowed four touchdowns that came in just three games. He is also averaging an allowed 10.2 yards per reception.
On top of those stats, he’s produced 57 total tackles, seven pass breakups, two interceptions, and one forced fumble.
His first interception in 2022 came in Week 14 against Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs. Surtain also allowed only 12 yards in coverage that week, which earned him a 78.2 grade from PFF.
He will face off against the Chiefs again this Sunday in Kansas City. This will be the Denver Broncos first game played since former head coach Nathaniel Hackett was let go on Monday. The Broncos are currently 12.5-point underdogs and will desperately be leaning on Surtain to keep them in it. This will be interim head coach Jerry Rosburg’s first game ever as a head coach.
