The NFL Top 100 list is the easiest way for everyone to see how the NFL feels about certain players in the league. Some get snubbed, some get overrated and some get slotted just in the right spot. For some players, they get the respect they deserve, which is what happened to Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II this time around.
Surtain was voted No. 10 on the list after he won the league’s Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2024. He was the highest-rated defensive back, and the second-highest-rated defensive player only to Cleveland’s Myles Garrett. He jumped up 42 spots from his No. 52 ranking at the start of last season.
Top 🔟 in the #NFLTop100 😤@PatSurtainll leveled up in 2024 🎮 pic.twitter.com/T9qbRdSOgm
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) September 2, 2025
The 25-year-old is heading into his fifth year in the NFL with the Broncos after improving in each of his first four seasons in the Mile High City. While the stat sheet might not reflect it, as he had a career-low in total tackles last season, the tape does. Cornerbacks can’t be judged on the stats alone, because a guy who is on the field as much as Surtain and doesn’t put up out-of-this-world stats shows that he doesn’t get much action from opposing offenses. His 45 tackles were by far a career-low, but his four interceptions were tied for a career-best.
Surtain also didn’t allow more than 50 receiving yards in any game he played in last season, per Next Gen Stats. He always took on the challenge of guarding the other team’s top receiver, such as Cincinnati’s Ja’Marr Chase or Seattle’s DK Metcalf, and consistently held his own.
“There’s very few people that move that smoothly at his height, his size. It’s like poetry in motion. It’s honestly beautiful to see when he’s in press man [coverage],” Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey said.
He has every single tool in his arsenal that makes any player an elite NFL cornerback, and the Broncos have reaped the benefits of selecting him ninth overall in the 2021 NFL Draft. They are also reaping the benefits of signing him to a contract extension early, as the contract that made him the highest-paid corner in the league last summer is now just the fifth-highest contract at the position, even after he won DPOY. A $24 million price tag seemed like a lot a year ago when he inked the deal with Denver, but now, it’s a steal.
Surtain’s teammates are also reaping the benefits of having him in coverage behind them, as it makes life easier for the guys up front.
“Having a guy that you can go out there and put on any receiver and you won’t hear about him for the rest of the game, that does wonders for a D-line,” Broncos edge rusher Nik Bonitto said.
Surtain will get his first crack at defending his DPOY crown on Sunday when the Tennessee Titans and No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward come to town. He will likely get the assignment of covering Calvin Ridley, who used to be an elite receiver a few years ago, to kick off his season.
Surtain is the fourth and final Bronco to make the cut on the list. Zach Allen was ranked No. 90, Bo Nix was No. 64 and Bonitto was No. 38. Quinn Meinerz, despite being an All-Pro a season ago, didn’t get the nod.