By: Brett Greenberg
TUSCALOOSA, AL. - Following his junior season, Alabama football cornerback Patrick Surtain II was selected Thursday by the Denver Broncos in the first round with the ninth pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Surtain worked his way into being a starter halfway through his freshman season with the Crimson Tide. He totaled seven tackles in the SEC Championship Game and was not targeted once in the CFP National Championship.
In his sophomore and junior seasons, Surtain locked down his side of the field with 20 pass breakups and three interceptions, one for a pick-six. He was named SEC Defensive Player of the Year, first-team All-America and first-team All-SEC in his junior season.
Here's what the Broncos are getting in Surtain:
The positives
With his 6-foot-1 170-pound frame, Surtainn knows how to use his body to defend receivers. He is one of the more physical corners in this draft class and uses that to his advantage.
With his four career quarterback pressures, Surtain has shown scouts he can be put in the box to blitz. Surtain also was seen in every game since he stepped on campus for the college football's most talented program, including 38 consecutive starts.
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The concerns
There is not much to knock Surtain on, but he only intercepted three passes in three seasons at Alabama. He was also beat off the line of scrimmage a couple of times in the national championship game in 2019.
Final thoughts
Surtain will have an immediate impact in the NFL and projects to earn a starting cornerback job in camp. The SEC Defensive Player of the Year is strong and fast enough to play anywhere in the secondary, and has a Minkah Fitzpatrick feel to him. Surtain is a ball hawk who will immediately show NFL coaches why he was rarely targeted in college.
Surtain has the size, speed and work ethic to become a star in the league.
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