2021 NFL Draft grades: Denver Broncos punt on quarterbacks
1 (9): Patrick Surtain II, CB, Alabama
The Denver Broncos were heavily rumored to be interested in the quarterback prospects atop the 2021 NFL Draft class.
New GM George Paton attended the pro days of Zach Wilson, Justin Fields, and Trey Lance before sending offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur to go watch the second pro days of Fields and Lance.
With that amount of pre-draft interest shown in those guys, it seemed like Justin Fields at pick number 9 overall was all but a certainty if Fields was still on the board.
That didn’t turn out to be the case at all.
In fact, Paton stated after the Broncos selected Surtain that he intentionally avoided the Alabama pro days to hide the team’s strong interest in Surtain.
If the Denver Broncos don’t land Aaron Rodgers or eventually someone like Deshaun Watson, Paton will be judged in hindsight depending on the success Justin Fields has with the Chicago Bears.
Surtain, as previously stated, may very well be the best all-around defensive player in this entire class. He’s certainly one of the safest prospects with a high floor, and he is going to be a very good pro. With that being said, was he worth passing on Fields for?
Time will tell that story.
The fact of the matter is, Paton was comfortable punting the quarterback need given his high opinion of Drew Lock’s potential, Teddy Bridgewater’s high floor as a bridge option, and a potentially loaded 2022 NFL Draft class at the position.
He got a great prospect in Surtain with his first ever first-round selection as an NFL general manager. He fortified an already reloaded secondary unit with top free agent acquisitions Ronald Darby and Kyle Fuller, giving the Broncos a great shot to put the clamps on Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert in their four meetings each year.
Grade: A