Broncos' Pat Surtain II Voted NFL's Best CB by Associated Press

The Denver Broncos have the best cornerback in the NFL. That's what the Associated Press found in a recent vote of journalists. Of course, with Patrick Surtain II winning the Defensive Player of the Year award, a distinction held by only six other cornerbacks in history, it gives him a leg up on the rest of the players at his position. 

Recently, a panel of eight A.P. voters ranked their top players at various positions, with Surtain taking the top spot. Since he won the A.P. Defensive Player of the Year award, that shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone.

However, what may come as a surprise is how the votes turned out. Out of the eight voters, five of them placed Surtain in the top spot, with three of them voting him as the second-best corner. 

Those three second-place votes had Surtain behind Sauce Gardner for two of them and Cooper DeJean for one of them. That's where the surprise and shock may set in.

DeJean had a great rookie season, but it wasn’t to the level that should label him as the best corner in the NFL. As for Gardner, he's coming off a terrible year where he performed in the middle of the pack, at best, among NFL corners. It's surprising to see Derek Stingley Jr. not receive any first-place votes, as he is the closest one to Surtain at the top. 

The impact that Surtain had on the Broncos' defense last year cannot be understated, and it goes beyond the great statistics he produced. He picked off four passes while allowing only 37 targets to be caught.

Those are significant numbers, but what's more is that Surtain was the straw that stirred the drink for the Broncos' defense. His ability to take out top receivers week in and week out allowed Vance Joseph to be aggressive with his defense. 

When Surtain missed time, the Broncos' defense wasn’t as aggressive upfront as it was when he was on the field. The Broncos also underwent drastic changes to their coverage packages without Surtain.

That demonstrates the significant impact Surtain's presence had on the defense. He is a difference-maker on the field with his play and what he enables the unit to do. 

Now, cornerback play can be volatile on a year-to-year basis, but Surtain is still at an age where you don’t have as much of a concern about the up-and-down play or drop-off. The Broncos should have three to seven years of high-level play left from him, as corners tend to show a drop-off from 28-33 years old. Surtain should remain at the top of the position for this year. 

The bigger question with Surtain's performance is whether playing up front and being aggressive allows for success in the secondary. All things work together, so Surtain’s play helped the pass rushers as the pass rushers helped Surtain. After setting a franchise record last year for sacks (63, league-leading), there is reasonable doubt about the pass rush's ability to replicate that. If the Broncos are unable to, it could create fewer opportunities for Surtain. 

Another element is the play of the other corners, and if they can be more locked down and force more towards Surtain. There's a lot that goes into it.

Surtain is the best corner in the NFL, and at an individual level, that shouldn’t change. So, congratulations to Surtain for being voted as the best corner in the NFL by the A.P..