Vic Fangio Reflects on Pushing Broncos to Draft Patrick Surtain II

Since Super Bowl 50, the Denver Broncos have built a culture of defensive football. While there is tangible hope and progress that the team will continue to climb out of the depths of poor offensive play under the direction of head coach Sean Payton and quarterback Bo Nix, the Broncos have become a defense-first team.

Vic Fangio didn't have a great tenure as head coach in Denver, but he plays a part in the legacy of the organization’s run of great defenses. Even though it didn’t work out for Fangio, marred by poor quarterback play and seemingly a personality much better suited for a defensive coordinator role as opposed to a head coach, his fingerprints remain in Denver.

Specifically, Fangio's impact is still felt via the selection of Patrick Surtain II with the No. 9 overall selection in the 2021 NFL draft. As Fangio's Philadelphia Eagles prepare for a Super Bowl tilt vs. the Kansas City Chiefs, Fangio reminisced on the selection of the former Alabama star and how he advocated for the Defensive Player of the Year frontrunner with Denver’s pick.

“I was his biggest sponsor in Denver (before the draft)," Fangio told reporters (9NEWS). "You just can tell. Sometimes you can just tell. He had all the measurables. All the stuff that people want. But then he had that makeup that would allow his measurables to flourish.”

According to Fangio, all Surtain needed was time on task.

“He was a good player for us as a rookie," Fangio said of Surtain. "I’m sure he’s better now just from playing.”

Leading up to the 2021 draft, the Broncos were a team obviously needing an upgrade at quarterback. In what was touted as a special quarterback class with Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson, Trey Lance, Justin Fields, and Mac Jones, the Broncos, sitting at nine without a viable option under center, surely felt pressure to take a swing on a signal-caller.

Instead of trading up for a quarterback or taking one that fell, the Broncos kicked the can at quarterback and took what appears to be a future first-ballot Hall-of-Famer, perennial first-team All-Pro, and probable Defensive Player of the Year this season.

Fangio didn't work out as the head coach in Denver. There may be some hard feelings about the hopes of Broncos fans during his time as the head coach and how it played out, but given how much time has passed and the integral role Fangio played in the selection of Surtain in the 2021 draft, it’s hard not to be in the least a little grateful for his role in helping Denver add one of the most dynamic players currently playing in the NFL.