ESPN Pounds Table for Broncos CB Pat Surtain II as DPoY

The Defensive Player of the Year buzz surrounding Patrick Surtain II is real.

Nov 10, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Denver Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II (2) during the second half against the Kansas City Chiefs at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. / Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Defensive Player of the Year is not historically a cornerback award. Dating back all the way to 1995, only two cornerbacks have been bestowed the accolade: Charles Woodson in 2009 and Stephon Gilmore in 2019.

Typically, the DPoY award is reserved for players with gaudy tackle, sack, or interception numbers elsewhere on the defense. It takes a down year in dominant pass rushers and a special season for a corner to win the accolade.

Denver Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain II is in the conversation to break that trend, playing elite football this season. On a special midseason awards episode of The Athletic Football Show, ESPN's Bill Barnwell stood on the podium and argued that Surtain is in play for DPoY.   

“I think the best defensive player on a snap-by-snap basis has been Pat Surtain II. To me, if you are looking for a cornerback and you're saying what is a perfect season for a cornerback look like? Pat Surtain is inhibiting targets at an extremely high rate. When he's being thrown at, he has a 50.1 passer rating. He has three interceptions, including a 100-yard pick six. He does not have a single missed tackle all season. He plays on a defense that plays man at one of the highest rates in football…. I think snap to snap, he's been the best player in the league on defense," Barnwell said.

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Barnwell's only argument against Surtain was that he had missed essentially two games so far this season due to a concussion. Pointing out Surtain’s impact on the defensive scheme, The Athletic's Robert Mays emphasized that the Broncos completely changed their coverage from man-heavy to zone in the one full game Surtain missed. Surtain is the straw that stirs Denver's defensive drink.

If Surtain were to win the award, a few things would need to happen. While he's unquestionably valuable and unique, he will need to start generating more plays on the ball when teams throw his way.

Surtain has three interceptions on the season and two pass breakups, ties for third and 62nd in the league, respectively. Unfair or not, Surtain's ball production will have to improve to win this award.

With how the Broncos play defense in tight press man coverage with Surtain following opposing WR1s often and allocating bodies to the rush as opposed to coverage, the opportunity to play with eyes on the quarterback and read the football are not as high as defenses that deploy far more zone coverage. That's a schematic disadvantage for a boundary corner's ball production.

Surtain is not likely to win DPoY, given how rare it is for a cornerback to win the award, but he is arguably one of the most impactful and elite players at his position. He's a complete corner playing a style that practically no other cornerback is asked or can do in the current landscape of the NFL and Broncos Country is fortunate to have such a special player for the foreseeable future.

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