Broncos CB Pat Surtain II Gets Dubious Ranking on PFF's Top 101

According to the Associated Press, no defensive player had a better 2024 season than Denver Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain II. The A.P. named Surtain the NFL Defensive Player of the Year, making him the first Bronco to win the award since Hall-of-Fame linebacker Randy Gradishar in 1978.

Pro Football Focus didn't see it that way. PFF has been trickling out its Top 101 Players of 2024, and several Broncos made the list, including Surtain, of course.

But PFF had Surtain ranked as the No. 12 overall player, and while the football analytics giant is yet to unveil its top 10, we can say with perfect confidence that the Broncos' cornerback wasn't the highest-ranked defender, as Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Zack Baun checked in at No. 11.

Baun had a phenomenal season and was named a DPoY finalist on his way to winning a Super Bowl with the Eagles. But he wasn't the DPoY. That honor belongs to Surtain. Here's what PFF wrote about Surtain's No. 12 ranking.

"The NFL’s newest Defensive Player of the Year led all cornerbacks with an 85.1 coverage grade while remarkably not missing a single tackle all season. He and Cooper DeJean were the only cornerbacks to earn at least an 80.0 grade in both run defense and coverage. Surtain also recorded four interceptions and five pass breakups, and he allowed just two touchdowns in his coverage all year," PFF wrote.

Broncos Country will collectively roll its eyes and perceive Surtain's ranking as yet another sign of the general skepticism (at best) and disrespect (at worst) of the team. It wasn't PFF, but NFL.com recently ranked Bo Nix as the No. 20 quarterback of 2024, with guys like Bryce Young ranked higher.

For whatever reason, the NFL has been very slow to come around on the new-era Broncos, even though they won 10 games with a rookie quarterback, had five players selected to the All-Pro Team, and made the playoffs. You can drive yourself crazy trying to understand why the Broncos seem to be so often dismissed and overlooked, but it's just noise. And Sean Payton will find a way to use it as fuel.

When it comes to PFF's Top 101, three other Broncos made the cut:

It's a safe bet to assume Nix won't be in the top 10, and with how poorly PFF graded Broncos All-Pro defensive lineman Zach Allen, he won't be there either. So it's a four-player list of Broncos this year to make PFF's Top 101.