Denver Broncos star cornerback Pat Surtain is expected to miss 4-6 weeks after suffering a pectoral injury on Sunday, making him a potential candidate for short-term injured reserve.
So, who will replace Surtain at cornerback for the Broncos?
The next man up is likely second-year cornerback Kris Abrams-Draine, who played in relief of Surtain against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday. Abrams-Draine, a fifth-round pick out of Missouri in 2024, played well late in his rookie season, but he struggled off the bench against the Cowboys, allowing six receptions for 78 yards on six targets.
Despite KAD’s coverage stats, Denver coach Sean Payton said after the game that he was pleased with how the secondary stepped up after PS2 left Sunday’s game.
“I think how we played was outstanding when he [Surtain] wasn’t in,” Payton said Monday. “That’s a big deal, especially when a large part of your plan is dealing with rotation and matchups and you’re dealing with 3 [George Pickins] and 88 [CeeDee Lamb]. Then all of a sudden that one element goes away, it can be a little bit disruptive.
“I thought Kris did a great job. The whole lot of them did when we went without Pat. We continued to play a handful of the coverages, and yet Vance [Joseph] did a good job adjusting. So that was very encouraging.”
Abrams-Draine will presumably get the first opportunity to start across from Riley Moss while Ja’Quan McMillian continues to play in the slot and rookie Jahdae Barron continues to serve a rotaional role in the secondary.
Broncos’ (projected) cornerback depth chart
Denver also has CBs Reese Taylor and Jaden Robinson available on the practice squad. If the Broncos place Surtain on short-term IR, it would open up a spot on the 53-man roster ahead of Sunday’s game against the Houston Texans.
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