Broncos' Talanoa Hufanga Breaks Silence on Playing Alongside Patrick Surtain II

"I've studied a lot of tape on him to begin with, what he does on the field is unbelievable," said Hufanga. "He shuts down a whole entire side, and that just makes your job easier, it makes the other guy's jobs on the team easier."

Hufanga calling Surtain "unbelievable" is a warranted response. Since Surtain was drafted by the Broncos in 2021, he's been the best cornerback in the NFL. He's made three straight Pro-Bowls and has been named a First-Team All-Pro twice in his career.

Most impressively, however, was his 2024 season, when Surtain was named Defensive Player of the Year. He hauled in four interceptions, returning them for a league-leading 132 total return yards, including a 100-yard pick-six.

Surtain also had 11 passes defended, and one forced fumble to go with 45 tackles. Most impressively, Surtain allowed just a 58.9 passer rating when targeted in 2024, his career best. 

Playing alongside someone like that has Hufanga excited for the season. Hufanga also has a goal in playing alongside Surtain: help him win another Defensive Player of the Year award.

"For me, I just wanna go out there and make Pat go do it again," Hufanga said. "I want him to get another Defensive Player of the Year. I love playing with guys like that, and we got a bunch of dogs, it's not just Pat, there's a bunch of guys out there that can play."

The new-look Broncos secondary is among the best in the NFL. Riley Moss, Brandon Jones, Surtain, Barron, and Hufanga are an incredible group. While Surtain is the best among them, the rest of the group aren't slouches by any means.

His quest to help Surtain win another Defensive Player of the Year award is an example of how much Hufanga is looking forward to playing alongside the "unbelievable" Patrick Surtain II.