Denver Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II is of NFL lineage and has recently evolved into becoming arguably the best defender across the league. Son of former All-Pro cornerback Patrick Surtain, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year has quickly cemented himself as the best cornerback of his generation at a mere 25 years old.
He’s been locking down the league’s best passcatchers since he entered the league as a spry 21-year-old and hasn’t looked back since. Surtain II oftentimes is ignored entirely due to his loud presence in the backend, but this doesn’t stop him from producing. Since entering the league in 2021, Surtain II has logged 11 interceptions while putting up at least 10 passes defended in each season. He’s the epitome of a modern-day lockdown corner and is aware of the challenge that the Colts’ talented group of passcatchers poses in their matchup this weekend.
“I think they’ve got a unique set of passcatchers,” the reigning DPOY would go on to explain. “I think [Michael] Pittman Jr. is a reliable target; he’s got great hands and good body control. [Alec] Pierce is a speedster; he can run down the field. And [AD] Mitchell, I think, has all the tools to be successful — shifty, crafty, and all of that.”
The fact that he didn’t mention Josh Downs is less disrespectful in my eyes and more indicative of the opening quote altogether. Perhaps he evaded Surtain II’s recollection based on the schematic fact that he won’t be lined up in the slot where Downs typically resides; it could certainly play some factor, but I think it speaks more to the group as a whole as opposed to one player or even position.
Furthermore, even though the quarterback leading the charge has since changed from Anthony Richardson to Daniel Jones, these Colts passcatchers provided little to no impact in their matchup against the Broncos just a season ago. So what’s changed? It’s the exact same wideout room with plenty of familiar faces at tight end. Surely the rookie tight end they drafted in the first round isn’t the missing piece to this passing offense’s puzzle. Turns out, he very well could be, and Surtain II thinks so, too.
“I think he’s very dynamic,” Surtain II explained. “From the first game, they utilize him a lot. Motioning him, putting him in different sets around the offensive scheme — we definitely got to keep an eye out for him because they utilize him a lot in the passing game. Once he gets the ball in his hands, he has the ability to make a big play after that. We’ve gotta do the best we can to contain him and eliminate that.”
The young, old-school tight end has been making headlines since he was drafted with the 14th overall pick back in late April. After just one game in the NFL, Tyler Warren has the attention of the league’s pound-for-pound best defender. He would scoff at this bit of information and, in Kobe fashion, would say, ‘job’s not finished,‘ so we can point it out for him.
There was a lot of pressure on Warren to raise the floor of an offense that was running out of time, but after a couple of hellos, he already has the NFL paying attention. It’s not quite a Brock Bowers-level ascension out of the age, but then again, why can’t it be? Although this Colts offense will spread the ball as much as possible as an attempt to create a sustainable, balanced offense, this very well could turn into the Tyler Warren show as early as year one, and defenders across the league are taking notice.
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