Pat Surtain II vs Christian Gonzalez 40-yard dash time: Which star CB comes out on top?

Cornerback Pat Surtain II won the 2024 AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year award after having a stellar season with the Denver Broncos. He was also selected to the Pro Bowl for the third time in his career.

Another AFC cornerback, Christian Gonzalez, in his second season, made a strong argument to be selected for the 2024 Pro Bowl but was not selected.

After a season marred by injuries in 2023, Gonzalez consistently displayed dominating performances throughout last season, establishing himself as one of the NFL's top defensive players.

While Gonzalez and Surtain II are both considered top NFL defenders, let's find out how they performed at the NFL Scouting Combine before they entered the league.

A look at Pat Surtain and Christian Gonzalez NFL Scouting Combine performances

Christian Gonzalez's performance in the 2023 Combine cemented him as one of the top cornerbacks in his draft class. In addition to weighing 197 pounds and standing 6 feet 1 inch, the former Oregon CB had an 11-foot-1 broad jump and a 41.5-inch vertical.

Gonzalez also recorded an official time of 4.38 seconds in the 40-yard sprint, and some analysts compared his performance to that of Patrick Surtain II. His 40-yard sprint time, however, was quicker than Surtain's from the Combine two years before.

On his 2021 Pro Day, Surtain ran the 40-yard dash in 4.42 seconds, according to the NFL's official website. He recorded a broad jump of 10 feet 11 inches while also taking part in several other on-field exercises.

The 6-foot-2, 208-pound Surtain also showed off his remarkable vertical leap of 39 inches and 18 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press. His first-round status prior to the draft that year was strengthened by his stature, endurance, quickness, leaping skills, and on-field ball skills.

Exploring Pat Surtain's performance in the 2024 season

Pat Surtain recorded 45 tackles, 34 solo tackles, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, and 11 pass defenses, including one pick-six in 16 games in the 2024 regular season. His four interceptions tied the most he had ever recorded in a single season in his four-year career.

Surtain's impressive performance earned him the 2024 AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year with 26 first-place votes and 330 total points. For the award, he beat off competition from Cincinnati Bengals pass rusher Trey Hendrickson, Cleveland Browns pass rusher Myles Garrett, Pittsburgh Steelers pass rusher T.J Watt, and Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Zack Baun.

In addition, Pat Surtain joined Stephon Gilmore, who took home the Defensive Player of the Year title after his stellar 2019 season with the New England Patriots, as the only defensive backs to win the award since 2010.