'He's phenomenal': Why the Broncos' CB Pat Surtain II is rave reviews - Denver Broncos Blog

ENGLEWOOD, Colorado – Patrick Sartane first noticed that his son, Denver Broncos cornerback Pat Sartane II, had an unusual composure in the face of sports mayhem. I tried to remember the moment.

“The quarterback was avoiding him all day. He took no action and in the end the kid threw the putt and completed it right in front of the putt,” said the former NFL 11-year veteran and first. All-Pro team of the Miami Dolphins. “And his face never changed. He never made excuses, he never blinked.”

“It wasn’t a touchdown or anything, but there was something about that moment that struck me how calm he was. I think it will always help.”

Others, from teammates to all-time greats, have made the same observation about Thirteen. Thirteen is his 22-year-old cornerback, and all the Broncos want is to help lead the franchise out of the playoff-free wilderness it’s been wandering over the past six seasons. And if the Broncos are to aim high this season, Satain needs to continue his promotion to cornerback in the elite, especially after his difficult 1-1 start.

The next step is Sunday night’s game against the San Francisco 49ers (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC), but Satain returned to practice Thursday after picking up a left shoulder injury in the Broncos’ victory over the Houston Texans in Week 2. His condition was later listed as questionable.

“[He’s] “It’s always the same,” said Broncos safety Kareem Jackson, who is now in his 13th season. Be patient, stay calm, no matter what.”

Elder Satain is not surprised.

“I think he’s always been like that. It’s back to being very young,” said Satain, now the Dolphins’ assistant coach. He didn’t really care. He wasn’t hiding anything.

Champ Bailey has long been the calmest face in the crowd on any football field.All the physical attributes a cornerback needs to perform with unwavering confidence.

Former Broncos wide receiver Rod Smith once said: Anyway, he knew you didn’t catch the ball in front of him. ”

Bailey has been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame and, like many of the best defensive backs, has used his experience to study thirteen and raise expectations about where his career will lead.

“Patience is a difficult thing because everything about work demands to be quick and explosive,” Bailey said. “But there is an element of patience in when to do something and how to move the receiver without losing balance or positioning.

“All you have to do is watch him play and watch it. Let me tell you, I love watching that young man play. I love watching that young man play.Do you know what he is?He’s phenomenal.”

From the moment he was selected in the Broncos’ first round (9th overall) in the 2021 draft, Thirtain has played beyond his age.

“From a competitive standpoint, I think he’s going hard there because he doesn’t want anyone to catch his pass,” said Sartane, the elder. Play, that’s what he wants.”

Ejiro Evero, the Broncos’ defensive coordinator and Rams’ assistant last year, remembers noticing Satain’s attitude to the draft.

“There’s poise in the snap, and there’s poise in the catchpoint,” Evero said. “There is no panic in his game.”

At 6 foot 2 and 202 pounds, Surtain is tall for a cornerback and, as scouts say, “long.” He is one of the fastest players at his position on the draft board (4.42 second 40-yard dash in pre-draft training) and Alabama coach Nick Saban is one of the smartest players he has ever coached. I called him a person.

Surtain’s father said he always tried to teach his son the basic elements of position from an early age, even when Surtain was racking up all sorts of sports trophies to win medals in track and field.

Bailey has broken down the position into several key elements, and Thirteen, unlike most young cornerbacks, is already proficient in all of them: length, speed, and more. ”

Bailey pointed out Satain’s footwork in the Broncos’ season opener against the Seahawks when DK Metcalf attempted a double move early in the game, and Satain had his own foot when the ball went somewhere. It responded smoothly to Metcalfe’s movements without getting tangled.

His length prevents most wide receivers from pushing him away because his hands are already on them and out of reach. play with enough self-awareness not to participate in

And when the speed receivers try to leave him behind, “he understands the distance needed in route recognition to know where they’re going, and has enough speed to get there.” “And he’s tall, but he doesn’t stride. He can’t move his hips, so they can’t duck in on him.”

Thirtain started 15 games as a rookie last season, collecting 58 tackles, 4 interceptions and 14 passes defended, earning multiple All-Rookie team spots in total. And when he limited Metcalfe’s receiving to his 36 yards on his seven catches, some of his most famous defensive backs opined on his Twitter.

Darius Slay called him “one of the best press techs in the game” and Richard Sherman tweeted that he looks like a 10 year veteran. “You’re going to be a great player in the NFL,” Asante Samuel said.

“Technique, patience and anticipation,” said Bailey. “He moves quickly but is never in a hurry…and his size combination – no matter what the receiver says, his size should be a little intimidating – speed, perseverance and clarity of the game. A brain… you don’t see that in that young person.

“He’s doing things with his approach now, with his technique. I didn’t really do it until I was four or five years old. He’s been playing as long and as good as his health allows. right.”

Mr. Surtain usually accepts these compliments with a polite nod, often saying, “Exciting.” ”

Evero said he wouldn’t hesitate to ask Sarten to face the best wide receiver in the league.

“I don’t think his demeanor should be confused with a lack of intensity,” Evero said. “You see, there’s a lot of fire in his play. His personality is such that he doesn’t show that much intensity on his face. It’s in the way he plays.”