Broncos Film Room: How good can PS2 be?

George Paton’s decision to make Patrick Surtain II his first draft pick as an NFL General Manager was met with some resistance given the Broncos’ quarterback situation at this time last year. But after seeing young Surtain on the field in orange and blue as a rookie last season, it’s possible the Broncos ended up selecting a player that could be better than anyone’s best expectations. In an attempt to gauge just how good of a player Patrick Surtain II can be and his NFL ceiling, here is a look back at some of PS2’s best moments from 2021.

Purebred Football Player

The son of former NFL All-Pro veteran Patrick Surtain, Surtain II was not only born to play football he was born to be an NFL cornerback. “I kind of knew from a young age that he was gonna be special,” Surtain said about his son in a Behind The Broncos episode following the NFL Draft. That special ability was evident to anyone who watched Surtain II at Alabama, where he was a starter as a true freshman in 2018. His physical talent was obvious but his technique and ability to mentally process the game at a high level were rare for such a young player.

In the grand scheme of things, a meaningless play in the 2019 classic between LSU and Alabama. But here is an early representation of Surtain II’s fearless attitude and willingness to play physical when playing downhill, a rare trait when it comes to a shutdown corner. 

Silky smooth feet, oily hips and 4.46 speed in a 6-foot-2, 202-pound body allows for plays like this where Surtain II practically runs routes for receivers.

In his first NFL season, Surtain II brought all of that and more to Denver. Making the leap from the SEC to the NFL look like a mere speed bump. After being held to only 16 snaps in Week 1 against the New York Giants, Surtain II became a key cog in Denver’s 2021 defense and will remain so for many years to come.

A fantastic display of Surtain II’s sudden yet fluid movement skills, instincts and ability to come upfield and make a play on the football. Tremendous display of athleticism and instincts from Surtain II.

In the Week 15 home contest vs. Cincinnati, Surtian and Tee Higgins battled it out on numerous occasions. Here, Surtain II launches a jab to Higgins’ outside shoulder that the receiver slips but Denver’s No. 2 shows great hip flexibility and is able to open back to the inside and remain physical with Higgins throughout the route blanketing the receiver.

Again vs. Cincinnati, this time it’s Surtain II vs. Joe Mixon, one-on-one in the hole. Mixon attempts to stiff-arm and bounce the run outside of Surtain II but PS2 is up to the challenge and stops the 220-pound back for a one-yard gain.

An excellent example of Surtain II’s ability to play with loose and flexible hips while maintaining top speed.

Surtain II’s best performance in his young career came in Week 12 when he picked off Justin Herbert twice in a Broncos win over the Los Angeles Chargers. 

Sure, the ball was tipped and Surtain II just happened to be in the right spot at the right time. But being able to be in the right spot at the right time is a crude definition of high-level cornerback play in the NFL. You can see how Surtain II processes the route combination in conjunction with his task in coverage. Players that are able to do this at a high, consistent level in the NFL rack up accolades.

Beautiful execution again in zone coverage by Surtain II here. This time he is able to linger underneath the receiver’s route and bait Herbert into a turnover.

Extreme Versatility

With his tremendous combination of size, speed and cover ability Surtain II was asked to cover a wide variety of receivers as a rookie.

On the road Week 13 at Kansas City, Surtain II effortlessly matches Travis Kelce stride for stride throughout the route and boasts enough size to effectively neutralize one of the best tight ends in the NFL.

Back to his fantastic Week 12 performance against the Chargers, Patrick Surtain II manages to stay stride for stride and match breaks with one of the NFL’s premier-route runners in Keenan Allen.

When the Washington Football Team made the trip to Denver in Week 8, Surtain II was tasked with guarding Terry McLaurin and did so at a high level.

Another play in Surtain II’s battle against the long and physical Tee Higgins. Denver was so confident in Surtain II’s ability to defend Higgins in the red zone that he does so without safety help and runs another route for Higgins.

PS2’s Max Level

It’s so easy to forget that the highlighted player in the clips above is a rookie, so how good can Patrick Surtain II be?

The sky is the limit.

His rookie tape is incredibly impressive and even his bad plays would be considered great for other players with his age and experience.

He lets up the occasional reception and needs to finish plays more often around the line of scrimmage but that’s really it when it comes to poking holes in Surtain II’s game.

There are some obvious moments on film where it’s noticeable that PS2 is still processing route concepts and how it ties into his role in the given coverage. Given the trajectory of his development path, there’s reason to assume those instances will be ironed out and that PS2 will be playing the game full speed mentally and physically sooner rather than later.

He proved not only that he belongs in the NFL but that he can make plays at the rate of an elite, impact player as a rookie in 2021. There’s reason to believe that Patrick Surtain II is capable of All-Pro, Defensive Player of the Year type honors. 

Before he even became a Bronco, the respect George Paton had for Surtain II was immense. Not only did George Paton say that Surtain II was the top defender on the Broncos’ draft board for the 2021 NFL Draft, he said that Surtain II was the “safest player in the draft.”

Surtain II also received great praise from teammate and All-Pro safety Justin Simmons. “I don’t even have to worry about his side of the field,” Simmons said on the Richard Sherman podcast last December.

It’s clear that Surtain II has the backing of the entire franchise and big things are going to be expected out of the 22-year-old in 2022 with the Broncos deciding to not re-sign Bryce Callahan and Kyle Fuller.

It seems like there is only one hurdle remaining in PS2’s development.

Is he ready to enter the conversation as the best cornerback in the league?