Denver Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II has been named the AP Defensive Player of the Year during tonight’s NFL Award ceremony.
He entered the night as the odds-on favorite to be your DPOY and Pat Surtain II is now officially your Defensive Player of the Year!
Denver Broncos All-Pro shutdown cornerback Pat Surtain II has been named the Associated Press 2024 Defensive Player of the Year during tonight’s NFL Honors. He becomes the second cornerback since 2009 to win this award and now joins Hall of Famer Randy Gradishar as the only Broncos player to ever win Defensive Player of the Year.
⬇️ @PatSurtainll is the 2024 @AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year‼️ pic.twitter.com/FnpCqno4XP
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) February 7, 2025
Surtain II had an excellent 2024 season where he earned first-team All-Pro honors, made the Pro Bowl, and now has been named the AP 2024 Defensive Player of the Year. The Broncos star cornerback is the best cornerback in the league and one of the best overall defensive players in the entire league. This honor now firmly puts Surtain in the conversation as one of the elite defensive players in the NFL right now.
Surtain was excellent all season and has shut down multiple number-one receivers when he has had them in coverage. He finished the year with a total of 4 interceptions, including a potential season-changing pick-six vs. the Raiders early in the season. In 92 coverage snaps against five AFC Pro Bowlers this season, he allowed 6 receptions on 16 targets for 56 yards, zero touchdowns, had 2 interceptions, and allowed a passer rating of 8.3 when targeted. This dominance is why he is your Defensive Player of the Year. He is the best cornerback in the league, arguably the best defensive player in the entire NFL, and is now bringing in all the much-deserved accolades this season.
The Broncos signed Surtain II to a four-year contract extension before the start of the season and now have the 24-year-old cornerback locked up for the foreseeable future. He is the Broncos best player, the top cornerback in the league, among the elite defenders in the NFL currently, and is now your 2024 AP Defensive Player of the Year. This will not be the last time we see Surtain II in the running for this award and likely not the last time we see him win this award.