NFL.com analysts name Surtain, Williams to all-rookie teams
Dec 30, 2021, 6:45 AM | Updated: 12:03 pm
With just two weekends left in the regular season, the Denver Broncos’ top two draft picks from this past spring have already started earning kudos.
This week, NFL.com analysts David Carr and Gil Brandt unveiled their all-rookie offensive and defensive teams, respectively, which features the Broncos’ top two draft picks — cornerback Pat Surtain II and running back Javonte Williams.
Williams, Carr writes, has been the “perfect complement” to veteran ball carrier Melvin Gordon III, averaging 4.7 yards per carry while making a league-high 59 defenders miss tackles (tied with Indianapolis Colts rusher Jonathan Taylor).
“With Gordon set to become a free agent this offseason, Williams has proven he can be Denver’s RB1 for years to come and ranks 10th in the league in rushing yards (827),” writes Carr.
On the opposite side the ball, Surtain draws comparisons to fellow defensive rookie of the year candidate Micah Parsons of the Dallas Cowboys in that each earned a spot on the all-rookie roster while standing out among not just other first-year players but veterans as well.
While the rookie ranks 59th compared to all cornerbacks in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus, Surtain’s four interceptions is tied for fifth in the league and puts him in the same company as veterans Jalen Ramsey (three) and Xavien Howard (four).
With one more pick, Surtain would become the first rookie cornerback since Marcus Peters in 2015 with five or more interceptions in his first season.
