Patrick Surtain could turn Cowboys secondary around instantly
The Dallas Cowboys’ cornerback situation may be starting to look dire and will need to be addressed this offseason. After letting Byron Jones walk a year ago, they may end up losing Chidobe Awuzie and Jourdan Lewis in free agency this year, which will make an already large hole on the roster even larger. Hopefully, one of them can be retained but with a tight cap situation already that may prove challenging.
Luckily the Cowboys hold the No. 10 pick in an extremely deep corner draft class at the top. There are three guys who are widely considered to be top-flight prospects and potential game-changers for the team that selects them. This trio is comprised of Caleb Farley out of Virginia Tech, Jaycee Horn out of South Carolina, and Patrick Surtain II out of Alabama. Here’s why the latter is considered one of the ideal selections for the Cowboys in Round 1.
Measurables (Unverified)
Height: 6-foot-1 Weight: 202 pppounds
Stats (2020)
Tackles: 37 Total Tackles, 22 Solo Tackles, 3.5 Tackles For Loss Turnovers: 1 Interception 9 Pass Deflections
Games Watched
Auburn (2019), LSU (2019), Ohio State (2020), Texas A&M (2020), Florida (2020)
Strengths:
Oily smooth hips, can turn and run with ease, and can redirect and change direction so well. Extremely smart, understands route concepts and breaks on them with ease, routinely will run routes for the guys he's guarding, basically attached to their hip at times. Equally comfortable in trail or mirroring his receiver. Prototype frame for a No. 1 corner, can stay with all types of receivers. Good athlete, should pass most major thresholds. Plug-and-play starter in the NFL, did not allow catches often and is one of the cleaner corners technically in recent memory. Not afraid to be physical in press, able to get up and effectively jam receivers. Never falls for false steps or elaborate releases, also never gets beat on double moves. Covers so much ground in zone, passes guys off effectively and keeps his eyes locked on the quarterback. Excellent man cover corner, natural movement skills and instincts.
Weaknesses:
Disinterested in run support and as a tackler, doesn't get involved in run support often, not a poor tackler but just doesn't put in the effort often enough, should be relatively easy to correct in the NFL. Is not thrown at often, worry about his ball skills, looked good enough on limited snaps but lack of experience in this area could come into play early in his career.
Grading:
Coverage Skills: 14.5/15 Instincts: 9/10 Fluidity: 4/5 Ball Skills: 6/10 Tackling/Run Support: 4/10 Recovery: 4/5 Change of Direction: 3.5/5 Frame: 4/5 Versatility: 4/5 Consistency: 5/5
Player Summary:
Patrick Surtain II was one of the least-targeted cornerbacks in all of college football this last season and for a good reason. He rarely allowed anyone to get open let alone make a catch. He is so smooth and technically sound. He pairs those skills with above-average athleticism and great zone and man skills. He was the leader of Alabama's secondary this season and should assume a similar role in the NFL. He can cover any type of receiver that is lined up across from him and has all the traits that teams will look for in their top cornerbacks. He is disinterested as a tackler at times but hopefully with NFL coaching that can be fixed. Surtain will likely be a top-10 pick come draft day.
Fit With the Cowboys:
It is no secret the Cowboys will be looking at cornerback early. 2020 second-round pick Trevon Diggs showed that he is still raw and will need more time to hit his stride. Diggs played across from Patrick Surtain in their time together at Alabama and reuniting them in the NFL could be beneficial for both of them in the long run. Surtain is not scheme dependent either, he showed at Alabama he is equally comfortable in man and zone as his football instincts make it easy for him. There should be no concern about his ability to slide in and play at a high level early. The big question surrounding Surtain is will he be there at No. 10 when the Cowboys are on the clock? Caleb Farley seems most likely to come off the board first due to his athletic upside and relative inexperience at the position but Surtain will make his case through the pre-draft process to steal that number one spot. At this point the number of teams who may be rumored to be selecting a cornerback is unknown. The Denver Broncos will most likely be the first team to take one but if one of Surtain or Farley goes off the board before Denver, Dallas could be on the outside looking in for one of the top two guys. The likely scenario at this point is that Denver takes Farley or Surtain leaving the Cowboys with their pick of who is left. Surtain would be a fantastic pick for them and could jumpstart the defense going into next season.
https://cowboyswire.usatoday.com/lists/dallas-cowboys-trey-lance-nfl-draft-north-dakota-state-player-profiles/ https://cowboyswire.usatoday.com/lists/dallas-cowboys-justin-fields-nfl-draft-profile/ https://cowboyswire.usatoday.com/lists/dallas-cowboys-jamie-newman-wake-forest-scouting-report/ https://cowboyswire.usatoday.com/lists/dallas-cowboys-kyle-trask-scouting-report-2021-nfl-draft/
https://cowboyswire.usatoday.com/lists/cowboys-news-the-qb-situation-unresolved-issues-on-defense/
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