George Paton sees versatility in Patrick Surtain II

With the ninth overall pick, the Broncos selected Alabama cornerback Patrick Surtain II -passing on quarterbacks Justin Fields and Mac Jones to do so.

The QB situation in Denver has been a topic of interest for a hot minute. Even after they traded for Teddy Bridgewater yesterday, a lot of people have wondered whether George Paton would train up a new quarterback.

Unless they make a trade pretty soon, it looks like they’re running it back with Drew Lock - albeit with competition from veteran Teddy Bridgewater for starting QB.

Let’s get one thing out in the open - Patrick Surtain was the best CB in the 2021 Draft. He has good instincts, straight-line speed, ideal size, and he’s fantastic against the passing game.

After securing the pick, Paton was asked what he liked about Surtain.

“I liked everything,” Paton said. “I like him off the field, I like his leadership skills. And most of all I like the player that he is. You know, he’s big, he’s long, he’s physical.”

According to Paton, Vic does have a vision for Surtain’s spot on the roster, and it’s going to be Fangio who puts those pieces together.

My initial surprise and disappointment in not getting a quarterback had me asking whether we even needed Surtain’s talent, especially having fantastic starters like Fuller and Darby at the helm. But I might have just been shortsighted.

A few days ago, I wrote about the Broncos’ newest “No Shortcuts” video, in which Vic Fangio talked about the need factor and how it’s more important than it used to be. Drafting the best available players isn’t necessarily helpful if they don’t fit with their overarching vision.

Apparently, Fields didn’t fit in with that vision. That’s not to say they won’t look for QB talent after the Draft’s over, but as of now we have Drew Lock and Teddy Bridgewater.

I’m not ready to say that I’m glad we used the pick on a corner (even a great one), but I’m rooting for it to play out the way Fangio’s envisioning.

Welcome to Broncos Country, Patrick Surtain II.