Paton Reveals How Far Vikings Went to Stop WR Courtland Sutton in 2019 Matchup

As a No. 2 personnel executive in Minnesota, George Paton revealed what the Vikings did to try stopping Courtland Sutton when the Broncos came to town in Week 12 of 2019.

Denver Broncos GM George Paton has already impressed many observers with the speed with which he's acclimated to the roster he inherited. Paton’s determination to keep the majority of players who made up last year’s 5-11 squad might surprise many, but it provides a sure-fire indicator that he rates the existing talent highly.

One such example of platinum-level talent is wide receiver Cortland Sutton, whose return from a torn ACL is absolutely vital this year. The 25-year-old’s ascending star-status was dealt a major blow last year with the injury, but when Paton was with the Minnesota Vikings back in 2019 when they drew the Broncos on the schedule, he revealed their entire defensive game-plan was built around stopping Sutton. 

"When [the Vikings] played against Courtland two years ago, he was our number one priority," the GM said during the debut of the team site's Behind The Broncos show. "He's hard to handle for a number of reasons. He's big, he's athletic, he can run—and highly competitive and a really smart football player."

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Despite the Vikings' game plan prioritizing Sutton, he still caught five passes from then-band-aid QB Brandon Allen for 113 yards in a losing cause. Sutton also completed one 38-yard pass to Tim Patrick and carried the ball twice for 10 yards. That was the game Denver got up 20-0 at halftime and allowed Kirk Cousins to storm back and win. 

When Paton first took the Broncos job, he tried to reassure his own son that Sutton and Jerry Jeudy would make up for leaving Minnesota's Pro Bowl rookie wideout Justin Jefferson behind.

Sutton will form the bedrock of the young and talented receiving corps moving forward which provides an important building block for Paton. It allows the GM to focus more fully on filling the holes that exist elsewhere and maybe furnishing Vic Fangio with some new defensive weaponry.

Heading into the NFL draft and free agency, Paton has identified his strengths and weaknesses quickly and conclusively. The growing feeling is that splashy free-agent spending won't be his immediate priority, especially if it hinders the development of his own young stars.

Sutton has certainly been doing his part by doubling down on his rehabilitation, and that's music to the eyes and ears of Paton and Broncos Country. 

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