Broncos’ Pro Bowler Named to PFF’s NFL Top 50 Players List

The Denver Broncos have played a lot of bad football the last few years — with one clear exception. Their secondary has been among the very best in the NFL the last two seasons, ranking in the top five in the league in pass defense in 2022 and 2023.

One of the biggest reasons for that has been having one of the NFL’s best cornerbacks matched up with the NFL’s best wide receivers every week in Patrick Surtain II, who made PFF’s list of the Top 50 Players in the NFL at No. 35.

From PFF: “Denver’s defense was in trouble for a good portion of last season, and even their best players struggled because of it. Patrick Surtain II gave up three touchdowns on the season and a 93.9 passer rating when targeted, the worst mark of his career. But when assessing the 24-year-old, it seems foolish to put that down to anything other than variance at the position and the issues around him. The tape still shows Surtain is an elite cover cornerback and one of the best in the game.”

Surtain is one of the best in the game and trying to get paid like it as well. Denver has exercised its fifth-year option on his contract that would pay the 24-year-old $19.8 million in 2025 but the more likely path is he’ll receive a lucrative contract extension that could make him one of the highest paid defensive backs in NFL history.

Surtain’s Ascension to NFL’s Elite Cornerbacks

Surtain might be a great example of Malcolm Gladwell’s famous “10,000-hour rule” — the theory that if you practice anything for 10,000 hours you’ll become an expert at it.

Surtain’s training to be an NFL cornerback may have started when he was still in his crib as a baby. His father, Patrick Surtain, played cornerback for 11 seasons in the NFL and was a two-time NFL All-Pro and three-time Pro Bowler.

The elder Surtain has coached defensive backs on every level since his NFL career ended — first at high school football powerhouse American Heritage (FLa.) High, in the NFL for the Miami Dolphins and at Florida State as the defensive backs coach since 2023.

Surtain II played for his father at American Heritage before becoming a starter as a true freshman at Alabama in 2018 before earning All-American honors and being named SEC Defensive Player of the Year in 2020 as he helped lead the Crimson Tide to the College Football Playoff national championship.

The Broncos selected Surtain No. 9 overall in the 2021 NFL draft and in his first three seasons he made the PFWAA All-Rookie Team in 2021, earned NFL All-Pro honors in 2022 and is a two-time Pro Bowler.

Big-Time NFL Cornerbacks: What’s the Money Like?

Green Bay Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander is the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL in terms of average annual salary with a 4-year, $84 million contract with $30 million guaranteed.

The biggest overall contract belongs to Cleveland Browns cornerback Denzel Ward at 5 years, $10o.5 million with $71.25 million in guaranteed money — just a smidge ahead of Miami Dolphins cornerback Jalen Ramsey at 5 years, $100 million with $71 million guaranteed.