The Broncos don’t need ESPN to tell them who their best player is, but the network’s latest rankings made it official anyway: Pat Surtain II is viewed as the NFL’s top cornerback for the second straight year.
That kind of recognition only adds to what’s already been building in Denver. Surtain, a first-round pick in 2021, has now made four straight Pro Bowls and was named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2024. He’s 26, heading into his sixth season with the Broncos, and the sense around him is that his best football is still ahead.
Jeremy Fowler’s reporting in ESPN’s rankings painted the picture clearly. Surtain drew more than 75% of the first-place votes, and one veteran NFL coordinator didn’t leave much room for debate: "It's not close," a seasoned NFL coordinator said.
"A generational player. Watch the AFC Championship Game.
He was the best player on the field by far."
The praise doesn’t stop there. Fowler described Surtain as the prototype at cornerback, pointing to his size at 6-foot-2 and 202 pounds, along with his lateral agility, downfield speed and instincts. Even with a shoulder injury costing him three games in 2025, he still managed 12 passes defensed.
There were a few knocks in the evaluation, too. Some coaches and scouts felt he got handsy in 2025, when he finished with 10 penalties, and that he didn’t always show an extra burst when chasing interceptions. But the bigger body of work still overwhelms the nitpicks.
Against Cincinnati’s Ja’Marr Chase in Week 4, Surtain gave up just one catch for 8 yards over 13 coverage matchups. And across five seasons, he’s picked off 12 passes, which keeps the ball production conversation firmly on his side.
"If you went in a lab and made the ideal cornerback, it'd be Patrick Surtain," an NFC personnel evaluator said.
That kind of standing puts Surtain in rare company. He’s one of seven NFL cornerbacks to win Defensive Player of the Year, and four of those seven are already in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
It’s early to talk about where the story ends, but the direction is obvious. Surtain isn’t slowing down, and he’s expected to keep taking away one half of the field for Denver.
The Broncos’ ceiling will still be tied to Bo Nix, like most teams live and die with their quarterback. But the best player on the roster right now is Surtain, and it isn’t particularly close.
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