Can Pat Surtain II Assert Himself as NFL's Top Cornerback on Sunday? Just A Minute

The former Alabama and current Denver Broncos standout will share the field with two-time First Team All-Pro cornerback Sauce Gardner on Sunday.

Sep 19, 2021; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Denver Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II (2) celebrates an interception against the Jacksonville Jaguars at TIAA Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Welcome to BamaCentral’s "Just a Minute," a video series featuring BamaCentral's Alabama beat writers. Multiple times a week, the writers will group up to provide their take on a topic concerning the Crimson Tide or the landscape of college sports.

Watch the above video as BamaCentral staff writer Hunter De Siver discusses two of the NFL's best cornerbacks meeting on Sunday, including former Alabama standout Patrick Surtain II.

Former Alabama and current Denver Broncos standout cornerback Patrick Surtain II has only been in the NFL for three full seasons but he's already widely regarded as one if not the best defensive backs in the entire league.

In three seasons he logged 36 pass breakups and seven interceptions, including a pick-six. His efforts have helped him make two Pro Bowl appearances and a spot on the 2022 All-Pro First Team.

Through the first three games of this season, Surtain held five-time Pro Bowler and Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans to two catches for 17 yards, Seattle Seahawks two-time Pro Bowl wide receiver DK Metcalf to three catches for 29 yards and Pittsburgh Steelers top receiver George Pickens to two catches for 29 yards, per Pro Football Network.

On Sept. 4, shortly before this season started, Surtain earned a four-year, $96 million extension that includes $77.5 million guaranteed, which made him the highest-paid defensive back in NFL history, until Miami Dolphins cornerback Jalen Ramsey took the title less than 24 hours later.

The ninth overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft has been considered among the most elite cornerbacks in the league for quite some time. He makes a strong argument to be in the top-2 at the position, but perhaps only New York Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner stands in his way.

Gardner was taken by the Jets with the fourth overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft and later won the Defensive Rookie of the Year award while also landing a spot on the Pro Bowl and First Team All-Pro rosters. He'd earn those same latter two accolades in his second season (2023).

The 2021 rookies were solely led by Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons who won the Defensive Rookie of the Year award unanimously. While there was no second-place candidate, Surtain made a solid argument as he hauled in four interceptions and tallied 14 pass breakups.

Of course, Surtain and Gardner won't be on the field at the same time, but two of the NFL's best players under 25-years-old will be must-see TV. For a decent portion of Sunday's game, Surtain is expected to shadow Jets wide receiver and 2022 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Garrett Wilson, while Gardner will often attempt to disrupt Broncos leading wide receiver Courtland Sutton, who scored 10 touchdowns last season.

Will the Jets or Broncos lockdown defender officially be crowned the NFL's top cornerback by the end of the game?

The Jets (2-1) will host the Broncos (1-2) on Sunday at 12 p.m. CT on CBS (depending on region).