There's little debate to be had over who the best cornerback in the NFL is at this precise moment. The league is littered with talented defensive backs, but there's only one Pat Surtain II.
In a poll of NFL executives, coaches, and scouts in an ESPN article to rank the best CBs in the league, Surtain was the runaway winner. He received over 75% of the first-place votes. The only surprise is that it wasn't unanimous.
Surtain has been a generational, can't-miss prospect since he was a high school recruit. Alabama landing him over LSU in the 2018 class was one of the biggest recruiting wins of Nick Saban's career.
He was an immediate starter, ultimately becoming a unanimous All-American in 2020 and the SEC's Defensive Player of the Year. Nothing has changed in the NFL. He won the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year in 2024 and is a two-time first-team All-Pro.
"It's not close," a seasoned NFL coordinator said, via ESPN. "A generational player. Watch the AFC Championship Game. He was the best player on the field by far."
Pat Surtain II voted the No. 1 CB in the NFL by panel of experts
Surtain and the Broncos were so close to breaking through and winning the AFC this past season. They fell agonizingly short against the New England Patriots, but to no fault of Surtain. He was, as stated by the NFL coordinator in the quote above, the best player on the field.
In the biggest of games against the best competition, Surtain is always at his best. He shut down Ja'Marr Chase last season, holding him to just a single reception for eight yards in 13 snaps against him, per ESPN.
"If you went in a lab and made the ideal cornerback, it'd be Patrick Surtain," an NFC personnel evaluator said, via ESPN.
Surtain has the perfect blend of size, speed, and football IQ. His Dad was an 11-year pro, so he was able to mix an advanced understanding of the game with his preternatural ability.
Alabama has produced an embarrassment of riches at defensive back over the years, particularly during the Saban era. Guys like Minkah Fitzpatrick, Marlon Humphrey, Xavier McKinney, and Kool-Aid McKinstry, among others, have been among the elite at their respective positions over the years. But none have been at Surtain's level. He's the best DB of the Saban era. He's on the path to the Hall of Fame and could eventually be remembered as the best DB in the history of Alabama football.
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