The Denver Broncos’ defense is elite, and it starts with a pass rush that has led the NFL in sacks the past two regular seasons. However, even the Broncos’ pass rush benefits from Pat Surtain II’s ability to limit opposing offenses to a reduced field.
Surtain is a second-generation star at the position, and he continues to refine his skill set even after winning Defensive Player of the Year in 2024.
He defended his crown as the NFL’s best corner in a recent poll of league figures.
Broncos’ Pat Surtain II Defends Title as NFL’s Top CB
GettyThe NFL put a spotlight on Denver Broncos star cornerback Pat Surtain II
ESPN published a poll of the league’s top corners, and Surtain ranked first for the third year in a row, with the Broncos star checking in fifth at worst, but holding a “convincing grip on the process, eliciting more than 75% of the first-place votes,” per Jeremy Fowler on July 7.
“It’s not close,” an unnamed “seasoned NFL coordinator” said, per Fowler. “A generational player. Watch the AFC Championship Game. He was the best player on the field by far.”
Fowler called Surtain “the prototype,” saying he has the “ideal combination” of traits.
“The 2024 Defensive Player of the Year missed three games due to a shoulder injury in 2025 but still deflected 12 passes,” Fowler wrote. “From the nit-pick file: A few coaches and scouts thought he got handsy in 2025 (finished the season with 10 penalties) and didn’t always show an extra gear to close gaps for interceptions.
“But when lined up against the game’s best — Cincinnati’s Ja’Marr Chase in Week 4 — Surtain allowed one reception for 8 yards across 13 coverage matchups. And his 12 interceptions over five seasons are a reminder that ball production is not a problem.”
Fowler added that an unnamed “NFC personnel evaluator” remarked that “if you went in a lab and made the ideal cornerback, it’d be Patrick Surtain.”
He is one of the seven corners to win DPOY, and four of them are Hall of Famers, per Fowler.
The Broncos have decisions to make opposite him and elsewhere on their defense. But Surtain remains one of the steadiest players. And that is not just for the Broncos, but in the entire NFL heading into Year 6.
Pat Surtain II Just Misses Out on Top 25 List
GettyPat Surtain II just failed to qualify for a list of the NFL’s best cornerbacks.
Surtain’s greatness did not exactly go overlooked. However, the Broncos star was rightfully omitted from a recent top-25 list that included several of his peers. That list highlighted players who are under 25 heading into the 2026 season.
Surtain turned 26 in April.
“Age cutoff: Players who are 25 or younger when the 2026 regular season kicks off on Wednesday, Sept. 9, are eligible for this list,” CBS Sports’ Tyler Sullivan wrote on July 7.
Super Bowl champion Devon Witherspoon of the Seattle Seahawks and runner-up Christian Gonzalez of the New England Patriots both qualified. The latter eliminated Surtain and the Broncos from the playoffs in the AFC Championship Game in 2025.
In total, seven CBs made the list, again, with Surtain ineligible.
Nevertheless, Surtain outpaced them and all the rest at his position in the eyes of the NFL personnel that ESPN polled for the second straight season.
Broncos’ Pat Surtain II Gets Strong Words Amid Telling Trend