MINNEAPOLIS — Pat Surtain II didn’t disappoint. 

The Broncos’ rookie cornerback and first-round pick from Alabama was as advertised in his NFL debut Saturday in Minnesota. He started the game with a big third down pass break-up and ended the game with a 30-yard pick-6, leaving the game in the middle of the second quarter as everyone had seen enough of the rookie to know he was legit. 

“I felt it coming,” Surtain said of the pick-6. “They ran the same concept the drive before, so I was expecting it. I made a play on the ball.” 

Surtain has been playing three different positions throughout camp — dime, nickel and outside corner. While he’s primarily been the dime on the first-team defense, he only played outside corner Saturday with Ronald Darby, Kyle Fuller and Bryce Callahan all resting. 

But with Fuller’s and Callahan’s contracts expiring after this season and the likelihood the Broncos don’t keep one or both of them, Surtain showed he can be a reliable shutdown corner on the outside.

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“He played well, obviously,” coach Vic Fangio said. “And I expect a lot out of him. We only played him at corner today. We did not play him inside at all, and I wanted him to just play one position today. … You’ve got to go out there and make the plays, and he did it.” 

Surtain is sure to be a key contributor for the Broncos not only in 2021 but in the years to come. But for the rookie whose expectations couldn’t be higher, he’s not worried about the future. 

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Right now, he’s focused on how he and the defense can improve before their next preseason game against the Seahawks on Aug. 21. 

“It gives me a ton of confidence, getting my feet wet in my first game,” Surtain said. “It was good plays, but as far as overall as a defense, we played well. We had an excellent game. I think those plays had a lot to do with a film study, studying the opposing offenses and what they did.” 

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