The son of a former Pro Bowl cornerback, Patrick Surtain II is walking in his father’s footsteps as a shutdown corner. He stepped in from day one as a freshman and immediately impacted the Crimson Tide defense. Surtain is the surest thing on the defensive side of the ball going into the NFL Draft. He is very pro-ready and he looks to make a seamless transition.
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Player Bio
Name: Patrick Surtain II
Jersey: #2
Position: Cornerback
School: Alabama
Class: Junior
Height: 6’2”
Weight: 208
Man Coverage (9/10)
Surtain primarily played man coverage while at Alabama and excelled. He uses his impressive frame to be physical with receivers at the line of scrimmage and stick with them at their hip. A natural coverage corner, Surtain smoothly sticks with his man and shows tremendous footwork. Even when he is “beat”, he rarely ever allows a big gain. Surtain allowed just 21 receptions for 273 yards in 13 games last season.
Zone Coverage (8.5/10)
He rarely played in zone coverage, but he used his tremendous skill set to be a force. Surtain has the length and size, along with his ability to read and react, to make a play on the ball.
Ball Skills (9/10)
His tremendous coverage skills also come in handy when going to make a play at the catch point. Surtain has the athleticism and jumping ability to stick with any receiver on 50-50 balls. It isn’t just for show either, he produced at a high level on the ball with a career 31 pass breakups and four interceptions.
Run Support (9/10)
Surtain doesn’t hesitate to break off his man to go after the ball carrier. He is always looking to make a play and is a physical playmaker. He is willing to close in and eat up space to limit the yards allowed.
Tackling (9/10)
He is a very refined and sound tackler, using all the proper techniques. Surtain rarely whiffs on a tackle. While he isn’t going to take a ball carrier’s soul, he hits hard enough to get a player down and force fumbles. He forced four fumbles in his career.
Change of Direction (7/10)
If you are going to find any weakness in Surtain’s game, it is in his ability (or inability at times) to change direction. He isn’t very twitchy and a slight move from a receiver could get him beat especially a quick and speedy receiver. Surtain struggled against Florida’s Trevon Grimes as he moved downfield.
Route Recognition (9.5/10)
Surtain has phenomenal route recognition and reads a play very well while not being caught off guard too often. He sticks right with the receiver off of the first move on the line of scrimmage.
Fluidity (9/10)
Shows great footwork to make smooth moves and stick with the receiver. Surtain is confident in his ability and keeps everything in front of him not to get beat over the top. He has great burst, while his straight-line speed could use some work.
Competitive Toughness (9.5/10)
Surtain isn’t scared of a bigger receiver and won’t stray away from being physical. He is always looking to make a play on the ball
Versatility (7.5/10)
He has the ability to play top-notch man coverage and run defense. But Surtain isn’t the best zone defender and will fit best with a team that plays primarily man defense. Of course, that is where he looks his most comfortable.
Player Summary
Surtain is the top cornerback in this class with his elite coverage and ball skills, run defender, and tackler. With that said, his skill set can be used by any team in the NFL right now and he would make an immediate impact from day one.
Final Grade (88/100): Top 10 Pick
Player Comp: Marcus Peters
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Main Image Credit: Embed from Getty Images
