NFL just confirmed what Denver Broncos fans have known for years when it comes to All-Pro cornerback Patrick Surtain II
The Denver Broncos struck gold when they drafted cornerback Patrick Surtain out of Alabama, and he has the accolades to prove it. But now, even the people inside the league can’t deny his greatness.
ESPN’s annual positional rankings, voted on by NFL personnel and compiled by Jeremy Fowler, named Denver Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain as the No. 1 corner in the league. And frankly, it shouldn’t surprise anyone.
If there’s any position in the NFL where a clear-cut No. 1 exists with zero debate, it might only be cornerback. That is how dominant Surtain has been.
Patrick Surtain 2025 Stats
- 47 total tackles.
- 12 pass breakups.
- 1 interception.
‘It’s not close’
One NFL coordinator summed it up perfectly in his comments to Fowler: “It’s not close. He’s a generational player. Watch the AFC Championship game. He was the best player on the field by far.”
Think about that for a second. The Broncos lost that AFC Championship game. It was the Patriots who won and advanced to the Super Bowl. Yet this coordinator still believes Surtain was the best player on the field in a game his team didn’t even win. That tells you everything you need to know about the kind of player he is.
A Defensive Player of the Year winner at cornerback
So the immediate question becomes: what makes Surtain so different from everyone else at the position? For one, he’s a Defensive Player of the Year award winner. Do you know how difficult it is to win that award as a cornerback? That award is driven by sack production, edge rushers, and pass rush win rate. The league’s evaluation metrics skew heavily toward disruption in the backfield. Winning Defensive Player of the Year as a defensive back is nearly impossible, yet Surtain has done it.
He didn’t won the award in 2024, but that doesn’t mean he slowed down in 2025. By most accounts, he was just as dominant, if not better, than his award-winning campaign. Surtain boasted a 66.5 opposing QB passer rating and a very low 42.3 completion percentage. The scary part for the rest of the AFC? He’s only 26 years old. That means Surtain will continue to be the gold standard at the position for years to come.
What this means for the rest of the league
This ranking reinforces what front offices already know. Building a passing attack capable of competing against Denver means game-planning around a player who NFL executives, scouts, and coaches all agree is the best in the business. There is no scheme trick or matchup advantage that neutralizes a corner operating at this level.
The bottom line is that Patrick Surtain has earned every bit of this distinction. When the people who evaluate talent for a living tell you it’s not close, believe them.