The second cornerback off the board in this year’s draft, Patrick Surtain II signed his rookie contract Tuesday. Surtain and the Broncos agreed on the four-year slot deal (featuring the fifth-year option), Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
Denver certainly held Surtain in high regard, passing on a glaring quarterback need to land the former Alabama standout. The Broncos did not speak with Surtain during the pre-draft process, but new Denver GM George Paton was with Miami when the Dolphins employed Surtain’s father — a Pro Bowl cornerback in the 2000s.
The younger Surtain became the most significant piece of a Broncos cornerback overhaul. Having seen their Super Bowl-winning No Fly Zone secondary splinter in recent years, the Broncos were thin at corner last season. By the end of the 2020 slate, the Broncos were without their top two corners — A.J. Bouye and Bryce Callahan. They were thin here in 2019 as well, with Callahan missing the season due to injury. Surtain and free agent signings Ronald Darby and Kyle Fuller now join Callahan in Denver.
Despite not yet being under contract, Surtain attended Denver’s rookie minicamp. Here is how the Broncos’ rookie class looks:
Round 1: No. 9 Patrick Surtain II, CB (Alabama) (signed)
Round 2: No. 35 (from Falcons) Javonte Williams, RB (North Carolina)
Round 3: No. 98 (from Saints): Quinn Meinerz, G (Wisconsin-Whitewater)
Round 3: No. 105 (from Saints) Baron Browning, LB (Ohio State)
Round 5: No. 152 Caden Sterns, S (Texas)
Round 5: No. 164 (from Bears via Giants) Jamar Johnson, S (Indiana) (signed)
Round 6: No. 219 (from Falcons) Seth Williams, WR (Auburn) (signed)
Round 7: No. 237 Kary Vincent Jr., CB (LSU) (signed)
Round 7: No. 239 (from Giants) Jonathon Cooper, LB (Ohio State)
Round 7: No. 253 (from Browns) Marquiss Spencer, DL (Mississippi State) (signed)
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