Broncos GM George Paton says he instructed the organization to «hide our interest» in Patrick Surtain II leading up to their first-round selection of the cornerback in the NFL draft.
ENGLEWOOD, 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. «I knew the family, I knew (his) dad, I knew where he came from,» Paton said Friday. «We tried to hide our interest a little bit. «I never spoke with Patrick, I never Zoomed with him.
