The Lead
As the NFL Draft draws nearer, the focus is shifting toward the next class of players, and for five-time Pro Bowler Richard Sherman, who hosts "The Richard Sherman Podcast," that focus naturally is on young cornerbacks.
During a discussion with longtime NFL reporter Doug Farrar, Sherman debated this year's prospects and sometimes compared them with the top players from the 2021 draft, Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II and Panthers cornerback Jaycee Horn. And while Sherman does like what he sees from Ahmad "Sauce" Gardner, who is widely considered the top cornerback in this year's draft, Sherman said Surtain and Horn would possibly be the best players in this draft if they waited another year to enter the draft.
"I guess I was higher on Surtain," Sherman said. "If Jaycee Horn and Surtain were in this draft, they'd have a chance to go one and two. … They'd be the top prospects, I believe, in this draft. But I think the issue, the thing I like more about Surtain, is just the competition level. Surtain was doing it against SEC competition against Justin Jefferson, against Ja'Marr Chase, against Georgia, against Florida, against quality opponents, so you really got to see week in and week out, whether it's real."
In Sherman's evaluation, especially as Surtain transitioned to the pro level, he saw that it truly was real.
"I really like confident and aggressive corners, because in this day and age, you're going to have to be there," Sherman said. "You're going to have to have a short-term memory, because they're going to throw the ball a lot. … I really love to watch — even as a pro — Patrick Surtain's tape and Jaycee, before he got injured. Surtain's tape is teach tape. And the fact that he's a rookie [and] you can literally make technique teach tape from his game tape, [it's impressive]. His press, his off [coverage] — and it's week in and week out. He's not intimidated; it doesn't seem like he's intimidated by anything."
Below the Fold
On Friday, Russell Wilson visited downtown Denver as he took in the Colorado Rockies' Opening Day game against the Los Angeles Dodgers to throw out the ceremonial first pitch. As Wilson recounted beforehand, it was a moment that represented the full-circle nature of his professional sports career, from being drafted by the Rockies in 2010 to the trade that sent him to Denver a month ago.
