Bama Central

The Extra Point: Patrick Surtain II is off to a Sizzling Start with Broncos

Former Crimson Tide All-American cornerback is already carving a niche in the Denver secondary and looking like a veteran.

Christopher Walsh

Well, that didn't take long. 

If you've been checking out Mile High Huddle over the last week, the player mentioned the most at Broncos training camp has been none other than former Alabama cornerback Patrick Surtain II. 

To say a lot of people are raving about him would be an understatement. Plus this isn't hype, like the talk in Miami about how Tua Tagovailoa suddenly looks a lot better with the deep ball (he doesn't, sites that aggregate have been taking the team website reports and blowing them out of proportion). 

Cornerback Bryce Callahan has been among them.

“Oh yeah. Probably one of the quickest I’ve seen as a rookie acclimate to a defense and pick up multiple spots,” Callahan said. “It’s pretty impressive.”

“His press technique. He kind of looks like he’s been in the league for a couple of years already. Real calm. He’s got a lot going for him.”

For a player like Callahan to say that Surtain is already looking and acting like a veteran is high praise. 

But he isn't alone with that assessment, either. 

“He has a lot of natural abilities like getting his head back for the ball, playing the ball, focusing on the ball,” cornerback Ronald Darby said. “He gets up there, compete, press, play off the ball. [He’s] patient, willing to learn, doesn’t complain. He works hard.”

It's still early in camp, but there's already talk in Denver that the team might put the rookie in the challenging star position, which is the same as at Alabama: The fifth defensive back who lines up over the slot. 

However, the problem in the NFL is that the player he goes up against can often be either a small speed guy or a talented tight end. Kansas City's Travis Kelce and Las Vegas' Darren Waller are both in Denver's division. 

Regardless, the more Surtain can do and the more options he can give his coaches, the better the secondary — and the Broncos already had a really good group of defensive backs before selecting him with the ninth-overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. 

“I feel like, yeah, for sure. With more DBs that know more positions, we can mix our defense up, we can move more guys around,” Callahan said. “That’s obviously going to give our defense more versatility.”

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The Extra Point is a regular feature on BamaCentral, and often includes video and other elements from our FanNation partners. Other recent segments include:

From Denial to Acceptance, Why Texas A&M Felt it All Last Week

Henry Ruggs III Has a Lot to Prove This Season

Jerry Jeudy Off to Great Start at Broncos Training Camp

Tua Tagovailoa's Development on Display in Miami

JK Scott's Back is 'Against the Wall' in Green Bay

Why Giants Safety Xavier McKinney Has Beef With Cowboys

How Has Julio Jones' Transition Been to the Titans?

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Christopher Walsh
CHRISTOPHER WALSH

Christopher Walsh is the founder and publisher of BamaCentral, which first published in 2018. He's covered the Crimson Tide since 2004, and is the author of 26 books including Decade of Dominance, 100 Things Crimson Tide Fans Should Know and Do Before They Die, Nick Saban vs. College Football, and Bama Dynasty: The Crimson Tide's Road to College Football Immortality. He's an eight-time honoree of Football Writers Association of America awards and three-time winner of the Herby Kirby Memorial Award, the Alabama Sports Writers Association’s highest writing honor for story of the year. In 2022, he was named one of the 50 Legends of the ASWA. Previous beats include the Green Bay Packers, Arizona Cardinals and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, along with Major League Baseball’s Arizona Diamondbacks. Originally from Minnesota and a graduate of the University of New Hampshire, he currently resides in Tuscaloosa.