5 Broncos Make PFF's Midseason AFC West Team With One Heinous Snub

Fans fairly wonder whether Pro Football Focus even knows what it's talking about anymore.

Sep 22, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA; Denver Broncos safety Brandon Jones (22) intercepts the ball against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first quarter at Raymond James Stadium. / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

The halfway mark of the season has arrived, and the Denver Broncos sit ahead of schedule at 5-4 and possess the No. 7 seed in the AFC playoff picture.

The Broncos still have a ways to go to ascend to the top of the AFC, as last Sunday’s matchup at Baltimore revealed, but given all the dead cap and dearth of top draft capital, sitting just one win away from exceeding the oddsmakers' over/under prediction is a testament of the team-building and coaching vision under the current regime.

The Broncos do not have superstars scattered across their roster. This was a team projected by many as having one of the worst rosters in the league before the 2024 season kicked off. However, sitting at 5-4 with one of the best defenses in the NFL (even with the Baltimore game included) and one of the highest-graded offensive lines in football, one would expect some standouts and acknowledgment for a few players on the Broncos roster at the midway point of the season.

According to Pro Football Focus' Midseason AFC West team, the Broncos have five worthy players. Perhaps unsurprisingly, none of the Broncos listed were on the offensive side of the ball.

On defense, three Broncos were given acknowledgement as being some of the best at their respective positions in the AFC West, while on special teams, two players garnered a spot on PFF's All-AFC West Team at the midway point. And then there's the snub. More on that shortly.

• Justin Strnad | LB

• Patrick Surtain II | CB

• Brandon Jones | S

• Marvin Mims Jr. | PR/KR

• JL Skinner | S

No Zach Allen? Really?

You're probably wondering why the Broncos' superstar interior pass rusher wasn't mentioned. If you've been following PFF this season, it should come as little surprise that Allen isn't listed.

Undoubtedly, Allen is one of the Broncos' best players and one of the best interior pass rushers in the NFL this season. Just ask the Baltimore Ravens, who doubled-team Allen nearly every chance they could last week.

PFF has shortchanged Allen all season for some unknown reason, perhaps punishing him for the amount of snaps he plays. He's seen 541 snaps compared to the next-highest interior defensive lineman in the NFL at 449. A massive difference.

With a defensive grade of 59.2, Allen ranks 28th among interior defensive linemen with at least 300 snaps. It’s fair to wonder what the heck is going on with the grades over at PFF. He plays in a more attacking front, so he's often afforded more one-on-ones in pass-rush situations and is not an overwhelming gap-eating interior player.

This wouldn’t be as maddening if both players ahead of him were superstars. Kansas City's Chris Jones is a superstar and will be a Hall-of-Famer one day. However, listing Poona Ford, a good tackle in his own right, over Allen, who leads all defensive tackles in pressures at 44, should throw PFF's grading system of the Broncos into serious question.

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Justin Strnad

Strnad made the cut alongside listing Kansas City linebacker Leo Chanel. PFF's Khaled Elsayed said, “playing time is the only real issue with the two (linebackers) we went with, with neither crossing the 300 snap-threshold. But, the grades they’ve earned speak for themselves.”

Strnad has played 260 snaps this season on defense for the Broncos and has earned a 73.4 overall grade. He's coming off of a horrific performance against Baltimore. Still, the long-time backup and special teams player has filled in quite admirably in the wake of Alex Singleton's season-ending injury.

Brandon Jones

In the secondary, Jones has helped Broncos Country live with the departure of former long-time standout Justin Simmons. PFF has Jones’ grade on the season as 85.1, ranking as the fifth-best safety in the NFL with at least 300 snaps. Hopefully. Jones can start racking up more turnovers, with one forced fumble and one interception, over the second half of the season.

Patrick Surtain II

Often maligned by PFF's grades, it seems like the analytics service is finally giving Surtain his flowers as one of the best corners in football. Touted for only allowing seven first downs in pass coverage this season (a harder assignment for a man-heavy scheme and a corner tending to match up primarily against the opponent's No. 1 boundary playmakers), 'PS2' has also not missed a tackle in coverage.

Surtain is PFF's seventh-ranked cornerback in defensive grade at 76.2. That still feels too low for a player who is legitimately in the Defensive Player of the Year conversation.

Marvin Mims Jr.

The Broncos are also fielding one of the better special teams units in football, and something that head coach Sean Payton doesn’t get enough credit for reviving after the terrible third-phase years in Denver before his arrival. Mims has yet to make an impact as a receiver, alas.

Although he's a safety, Skinner doesn’t appear to be more than a core four special teamer. But the players who can make a difference in the forgotten third phase do matter.

Honorable Mentions

The Broncos did have a number of players PFF snubbed for divisional honors, but they're worth mentioning. Kicker Wil Lutz was a close call with Las Vegas Raiders kicker Daniel Carlson.

While PFF failed to select a single Broncos offensive player for a divisional spot on this 'team,' both tackles — Garett Bolles and Mike McGlinchey — were thrown a bone. The duo was listed behind the Los Angeles Chargers’ bookends Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt.

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