When it comes to elite cornerbacks, it appears there is Denver Broncos superstar and reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year Patrick Surtain II then there is everybody else.
Surtain kept his iron grip on the top spot in the ESPN Top 10 position rankings for the second consecutive year and increased his advantage over the competition by a considerable margin.
“Surtain’s grip on the top spot was stronger this time around, as he earned nearly 90% of the first-place votes compared to slightly above 50% last summer,” ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler wrote on July 17. “He has clearly separated himself from the field … On 56 targets, Surtain produced a strong 19.6% ball-hawking rate with 11 pass deflections and four interceptions. His 5.5 yards allowed per target was top five in the league and he gave up just two touchdowns all season.”
Surtain delivered big in 2024 after signing a 4-year, $96 million contract extension that made him the highest paid defensive back in NFL history at the time.
Houston Texans cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. made the leap from No. 10 in last year’s rankings to No. 2 in this year’s Top 10.
Surtain Joined Former LB Gradishar in Broncos Lore
Surtain is the first NFL Defensive Player of the Year winner for the Broncos since linebacker Randy Gradishar won in 1978. He also became just the seventh cornerback in NFL history to win NFL Defensive Player of the Year and the first since New England Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore in 2019.
The 2021 first round pick (No. 9 overall) out of Alabama earned NFL All-Pro honors for the second time and was named to his third Pro Bowl in 2024. He staked his claim as the NFL’s premier cover corner with 4 interceptions for an NFL-leading 132 yards, including a 100-yard interception return for a touchdown in a Week 5 win over the Las Vegas Raiders.
The Broncos went 10-7 and made the playoffs for the first time since the 2015 season.
With 2 games left in the regular season, NFL on CBS shared an insane statistic about Surtain’s play.
From NFL on CBS: “Patrick Surtain II has allowed a passer rating of 39.1 when targeted this season. A QB’s passer rating would be higher if they threw it into the ground on each pass (39.6).”
Broncos, Surtain Focused On Becoming Contenders
In March, Surtain told RG.org’s DJ Siddiqi he thinks the ceiling for the Broncos in 2025 could be making it all the way to the Super Bowl.
“I feel like that’s the topic that some people look at and say, ‘Are the Broncos Super Bowl contenders?’ I feel like we are contenders in our own right,” Surtain said on March 17. “I feel like we are building success and I think we are headed in the right direction for sure.”
The Broncos have been to the Super Bowl 8 times in franchise history, including at least one appearance per decade from the 1970s through the 1990s and 2 appearances in the 2010s that included a Super Bowl win following the 2015 season.
The biggest hurdle for the Broncos getting back to the Super Bowl anytime in the near future exists within its own conference with the Kansas City Chiefs. Headed into 2025, the Chiefs have played in the AFC Championship Game 7 consecutive seasons with 5 Super Bowl appearances and 3 Super Bowl wins.
