Denver Broncos, Patrick Surtain II
2026 NFL Top 100: Former Defensive Player of the Year Holds 10th Spot on List 1
The 2026 NFL Top 100 list has gone through some of the league’s best players en route to the top 10. We have seen award winners, All-Pros, and future Pro Football Hall of Famers all make the list. However, one of the game’s best defenders has found his spot. Let’s take a deeper dive into who it is and what he has done to be ranked in the top 10.
Denver Broncos, Patrick Surtain II, 2026 NFL Top 100Denver Broncos, Patrick Surtain II, 2026 NFL Top 100
Feb 1, 2025; Orlando, FL, USA; Denver Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain (2) during AFC Practice for the Pro Bowl Games at Camping World Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
It should come as no surprise that Denver Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain II has found his way into the top 10 once again for the 2026 NFL Top 100. What may be surprising is that he has the exact spot he held on last year’s rankings. NFL’s Brooke Cersosimo wrote the following blurb about the elite Denver Broncos cornerback:
“Surtain was once again a cornerstone in Denver’s top-three overall and scoring defense, earning his fourth consecutive Pro Bowl nod despite missing three games due to a pectoral injury. According to Next Gen Stats, he allowed just one touchdown on 63 targets and 572 coverage snaps last season. Finishing in the top 10 in this list in back-to-back seasons, the 2024 Defensive Player of the Year remains the standard at the position.”
Pat Surtain II had another major season following up on winning the 2024 Defensive Player of the Year Award. In 14 games, he recorded 47 total tackles (37 solo, 10 assists) with one tackle for loss, 12 pass deflections, and one interception. Surtain has turned into a cornerback that the opposing offense does not want to throw the football against. According to Pro Football Reference, he allowed 33 of 61 targets to be caught (54.1%).
Below are the cornerbacks who have been named to the 2026 NFL Top 100 list up to this point:
76: Jaycee Horn
47: Quinyon Mitchell
38: Cooper DeJean
28: Christian Gonzalez
25: Derek Stingley Jr
10: Patrick Surtain II
The 2026 NFL Top 100 list is voted on by the players to rank their peers. This list is voted on during the previous season and does not include any incoming rookies. Each weekday on social media, two names were announced until we hit the top 10 players remaining. Going forward, only one name is released each weekday until the entire list is published on Friday, Sept. 4. It will be intriguing to see how many defensive players rank ahead of the game’s top cornerback.