In case you haven't kept up with the Denver Broncos lately, they have one of the best young corners in the NFL.

In the 2021 NFL Draft, the Broncos selected Patrick Surtain with the ninth overall pick, and they immediately got a big return on their investment.

In just his second season, Surtain earned a first-team All-Pro nod and a Pro Bowl nod – both the first of his young career.

He only had two interceptions in 2022, but he also only allowed 10.4 yards per reception, an 82.6 passer rating when thrown his way, 45 receptions, and 10 pass deflections.

Trevor Sikkema of Pro Football Focus ranked Surtain as the second-best corner in the entire NFL that is under the age of 25. Only behind the New York Jets, Sauce Gardner. 

Surtain’s 66.3 coverage grade in 2021 was solid for a rookie (don’t let Sauce Gardner’s grade this past year skew your thoughts of an expected rookie year for young cornerbacks). But his 86.7 coverage grade in 2022 was exactly the kind of jump into elite play we were hoping for. He allowed just 417 passing yards in coverage with eight forced incompletions. – Trevor Sikkema, PFF

All this is to say, the Broncos will eventually have to pay him top-corner money.

The Athletic's Diante Lee recently wrote an article on which 2021 NFL Draft first-rounders are most likely to have their fifth-year options picked up and it's pretty much guaranteed Surtain will have his picked up unless something just goes terribly wrong in 2023. Case in point: Lee placed Surtain in his Tier 1, which is considered to be the "Franchise Cornerstone" tier:

Surtain is your prototypical lockdown corner on the outside. He’s already earned first-team All-Pro honors, has six career picks and 24 passes defended, and when he’s on the field, Denver is top five in defensive EPA against the pass (among defenses playing rookie-deal corners). His technique and footwork are impeccable. His size makes him impossible to body up on contested catches, and he’s a legitimate threat to make QBs pay with turnovers — if they’re brave enough to throw in his direction.
At 23, Pat Surtain II is already a Pro Bowler and a first-team All-Pro, establishing himself as one of the best CBs in the NFL. – Diante Lee, The Athletic

Cornerback is a premium position in the NFL and it's more important than ever in today's game. Surtain was pretty much a safe bet that he'd turn into a top-10 corner, at worst, and so far, it's playing out that way.

The Broncos still have three more years of affordability, so to speak, as well. Surtain is only entering Year 3, so including this year, the team still has three more seasons before they really have to pay him anything. Sure, he'll be eligible for a contract extension after 2023, but the team can structure the extension to where the money doesn't kick in until later down the road.

In all, the Broncos and Surtain are in a great spot and it should only lead to bigger and better things -for both parties- down the road.

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