Pat Surtain II has near-universal respect around the NFL.

Widely considered one of the best defensive players in the league, Surtain was named the No. 10 overall player in the NFL’s countdown of the 100 best on Monday.

Two particular fans: Tre’Davious White and New England offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels.

In a video posted by the league on social media, White raves about Surtain’s do-it-all ability at cornerback.

“Pat is the guy, man,” White said. “He can do it from press, he can do it from off. He can follow your best guy in the slot. He’s real tight on you. You’re not going to get any YAC on him.

“If you want to put him in the backfield, he’ll line up at linebacker and do that, too.”

After the Patriots beat Denver, 10-7, in the AFC Championship Game, McDaniels, the former Broncos head coach, sought out Surtain and said, “You’re the best one in the league, alright? I’ve seen them all and I’m just telling you. You’re the best one.”

Surtain checked in No. 10 on the preseason list last year, too. He has racked up accolades galore over his first five seasons in the NFL, including winning defensive player of the year in 2024, first-team All-Pro honors in 2022 and 2024, second-team All-Pro last year after missing 3.5 games with a partially torn pectoral muscle and four straight Pro Bowl nods.

#Broncos CB Pat Surtain II checks in at No. 10 on the NFL’s countdown of the 100 top players in the league. pic.twitter.com/sdYLvXFIOd

— Parker Gabriel (@ParkerJGabriel) August 24, 2026

“You get the ultimate respect when you eliminate people and don’t even hear ’em,” Surtain said in the video. “It’s not going to be put on the stat sheet, people may not hear about it, but I’m just doing my job and locking my side down.”

Teammate Zach Allen, who checked in No. 73 on the NFL’s top-100 countdown, summed up Surtain’s impact succinctly.

“When you have the best DB in the game in the past decade or two decades, it makes everybody else’s job easier,” Allen said. “Because we know we can just roll the coverage away from Pat.”

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