Detroit Lions: Patrick Surtain II a real possibility even at no. 7
By Bob Heyrman
I can’t help but wonder how the fan base would react if the Detroit Lions took a cornerback in the top ten in back-to-back drafts. Alabama’s Patrick Surtain II may warrant the consideration.
We’re just a year removed from the Detroit Lions selecting Jeff Okudah with the third overall pick out of Ohio State. Albeit chosen by the previous regime; I can see a scenario that places Surtain atop the Detroit Lions draft board even with the seventh overall pick.
If you are a casual football fan and feel the name Surtain sounds familiar, it does. Patrick Surtain II is the son of former Miami and Kansas City Pro Bowl corner, you guessed it, Patrick Surtain. Senior is just 44-years old but last appeared in the NFL in 2008 with the Chiefs.
Surtain II performed exceptionally well over a three-year span, with the Crimson Tide defending 24 passes, pulling down four interceptions, and completing 116 total tackles in 82 contests.
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Patrick Surtain is a lock-down corner that will walk in and start opposite Okudah or Amani Oruwariye for the Detroit Lions.
Surtain at 6-foot-2, nearly 210-pounds, excels playing press man-to-man coverage, and has the physical tools to disrupt any route with a firm jam at the line of scrimmage.
There is a bonus here if Surtain happens to be beaten at the line of scrimmage; he has the athletic ability to recover using his 4.41 speed. During his Pro Day, Surtain posted an impressive broad jump of 10 feet, 11 inches, plus a 39 verticle leap while completing 18 bench press reps.
Surtain allowed a completion percentage of just 46% throughout his college career plus won the 2020 SEC defensive player of the year award.
Surtain is arguably the top corner in the 2021 draft class, but Jaycee Horn quickly follows him, but it’s really personal preference between the two. Some mock drafts will certainly have Horn ranked above Surtain.
I’m not entirely sure which direction the Lions would go, whether it would be a linebacker, defensive line, or someone in the secondary this early in the draft, but with Aaron Glenn, a former corner himself set to be a first-time defensive coordinator, he may see something in a player like Surtain he feels is too good to pass up. Sure, Glenn won’t have the final say but he certainly will have the ability to voice his opinion.
By selecting Surtain and adding him to a youth group led by Oruwariye, Okudah, and Corn Elder sets the organization’s secondary up for years to come.
In one of our recent mock drafts here at Detroit Jock City, contributor Nate Williams has predicted that the Detroit Lions will select Horn after agreeing to trade back in the first round.
I’m not sure which direction the Detroit Lions will go, but if they fail to trade back in the first round, and the top four quarterbacks and top pass-catcher are off the board along with Penei Sewell, who I feel should be atop Detroit’s draft board, I can see a scenario that puts Rashawn Slater, Surtain, Horn, Jaylen Waddle in the cluster of players to choose from.
Next. Mock Draft 3.0: Trading back in the first round. dark
Trading back somewhere just outside of the top ten adding draft capital, plus still having an opportunity to select a player in this cluster mentioned, would be ideal. But if the Detroit Lions can’t find a trade partner, there is nothing wrong with still selecting said player seventh overall.