At 8-9 in 2023, the Denver Broncos’ first season under coach Sean Payton was the NFL team’s seventh in a row with a losing record. But Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain II said Payton will make a difference for Denver.

“I think the team right now, I could say we’re a very young team, so a lot of people are going to underestimate us,” Surtain said during an appearance on “The Jim Rome Show” on Friday. “But I just think from the start of things I think we were really, really eager as a unit and as a team. Just from the start of OTAs, you could tell with the type of urgency the team had and what type of leadership we have around the team. And we just keep on building intricate steps toward the right things. Obviously, when you got Sean as the coach that believes in us as a team, we’re set for great things in the future.”

A former Alabama All-American, Surtain has seen a coach make a difference for a team. Under coach Nick Saban, the Crimson Tide had a 38-3 record, won two SEC championships and captured the 2020 CFP national championship during Surtain’s three seasons before leaving for Denver as the ninth choice in the 2021 NFL Draft.

“When you got two guys with that caliber and they understand what it takes to win with that culture, the stage will be set for them,” Surtain said of the two coaches. “They really know how to get their players dialed in and locked in and ready to go. When you look at great coaches, that’s one of the things that separate them apart – knowing how to bring their team together and knowing how to win.”

Before joining Denver, Payton spent 15 seasons guiding the New Orleans Saints. He compiled a 152-89 regular-season record with New Orleans and guided the Saints to a 31-17 victory over the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLIV on Feb. 7, 2010.

“He has the right approach to things where he’s like, ‘This is my mindset and I’m going to stick with it; this is my approach and I’m going to stick with it,’” Surtain said. “He’s never backing down on anything. He accepts every challenge. He’s got a different type of aura about him, a different type of persona about him. And it makes sense. Just speaking of his resume itself. Him establishing a culture, winning playoff games, winning the Super Bowl. Obviously, that’s huge. But understanding how to get there is the biggest thing as well, too. I just think he has the utmost confidence in himself and his team.”

The SEC Defensive Player of the Year in 2020, Surtain received first-team All-Pro recognition in his second NFL season. Surtain repeated as a Pro Bowl selection in 2023, but he finished seventh in the All-Pro voting at cornerback.

“I know I got some work to do,” Surtain said. “Last year wasn’t my best year, I know that. As a player and as my standard, that wasn’t the year that I hold myself to. Obviously, I made the Pro Bowl, which is pretty huge, a pretty big accomplishment. But I think the thing that matters is All-Pros, for sure, and that’s what people was going to look at at the end of the day. I wouldn’t necessarily say I got snubbed, but I just think there’s a point in time where you got to ask yourself what’s the standard you want to put out there. I don’t think it was the year I wanted to have as far as the standard I set for myself. …

“I hold myself to a high pedestal. I didn’t have a bad year last year. I just understand the type of player I am. I just want to achieve greatness each and every year, and I think it was a little bit short of that. But it was still a good year for me, but I just know what my standard is and what I hold myself to, and I’m going to just keep on reaching those levels.”

The Broncos concluded their offseason program this week one day early. Payton turned Denver’s three-day mandatory minicamp into a two-day affair after Wednesday’s practice.

“This will be our last day,” Payton said. “These guys will be leaving this afternoon, tomorrow. We won’t have a practice tomorrow. Felt like we really had a good offseason program. Obviously, the key for all of these guys is the five-and-a-half weeks they’re away of maintaining kind of their conditioning level. There will be a few guys that stay here, obviously, rehabbing injuries, but, overall, I thought it went well.”

The Broncos will gather next month for training camp but have not announced their schedule.

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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.