Broncos GM George Paton says he instructed the organization to \u00ab\u00a0hide our interest\u00a0\u00bb in Patrick Surtain II leading up to their first-round selection of the cornerback in the NFL draft.<\/b>
\nENGLEWOOD, Colo. — The Denver Broncos and new general manager George Paton took a different path to select Patrick Surtain II with the No.9 overall pick in the NFL draft. Without the benefit of the scouting combine or in-person visits to team complexes, most NFL teams made concerted efforts to gather as much information as possible on prospects they were considering. But Paton purposely went into stealth mode, with a total communications blackout leading up to Denver’s selection of Surtain on Thursday night. \u00ab\u00a0I knew the family, I knew (his) dad, I knew where he came from,\u00a0\u00bb Paton said Friday. \u00ab\u00a0We tried to hide our interest a little bit. \u00ab\u00a0I never spoke with Patrick, I never Zoomed with him. I told our coaches, ‘Don’t call him.’ I told our scouts, ‘Don’t call, don’t Zoom.’ I didn’t go to the Alabama pro day. This is a kid we targeted, this is a kid we wanted, we are very fortunate he was there.\u00a0\u00bb That doesn’t mean Paton didn’t have plenty of intel anyway. He was Miami’s director of pro personnel when Surtain’s father, Patrick Sr., was a cornerback with the Dolphins. The Broncos had also amassed three years’ worth of scouting reports on Surtain II from his time at Alabama. Alabama coach Nick Saban also was the Dolphins head coach in 2005-2006 — Paton’s last two seasons with Miami before joining the Minnesota Vikings as the director of player personnel in 2007. For his part, Surtain said his agent had told him that he could be selected \u00ab\u00a0any time\u00a0\u00bb once the Detroit Lions selected Oregon tackle Penei Sewell with the No.7 pick Thursday night. \u00ab\u00a0I got the call immediately (before the No.9 selection), I realized that it was a Denver area code, so I knew what team was going to pick me,\u00a0\u00bb Surtain said. \u00ab\u00a0I was very excited and emotional at the same time. It’s a very exciting feeling.\u00a0\u00bb Surtain added he had spoken to Broncos wide receiver Jerry Jeudy, a former Alabama teammate who Denver selected in the first round last year, in recent weeks, but the two had not even talked about the possibility of being future NFL teammates. \u00ab\u00a0We haven’t been talking about joining the same team, but it’s kind of crazy the way that things all circle around together,\u00a0\u00bb Surtain said. \u00ab\u00a0I know that he is probably very excited, and I know that I’m very excited to… reunite with him.\u00a0\u00bb<\/p>\n