NEW ORLEANS — Pat Surtain II has cemented his place in Broncos history.
Surtain was named 2024 Associated Press NFL Defensive Player of the Year at NFL Honors on Thursday, becoming just the second player in franchise history to earn the award.
Denver's standout cornerback joins Randy Gradishar, who won in 1978, as the only Broncos to win the NFL's top defensive honor.
Surtain is the first cornerback to win the league-wide award since Stephon Gilmore in 2019.
He is just the 10th player in NFL history — joining the likes of Hall of Famers Lawrence Taylor and Reggie White — to earn Defensive Player of the Year and a pair of first-team All-Pro selections in his first four NFL seasons.
Surtain, 24, is also the seventh-youngest Defensive Player of the Year winner. Only three players — Taylor, J.J. Watt and Luke Kuechly — have won the award before turning 24.
The Alabama product earned the honor over his fellow finalists in Eagles linebacker Zack Baun, Browns defensive end Myles Garrett, Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson and Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt.
In addition to tying a career high with four interceptions and posting double-digit passes defensed, Surtain ranked at the top of the league in nearly every advanced category.
Among cornerbacks with at least 400 coverage snaps, Surtain ranked first in fewest yards allowed (306), fewest yards allowed per coverage snap (0.6), lowest target rate (10.9 percent) and fewest air yards per target (7.1), according to Next Gen Stats.
In 92 coverage snaps against Pro Bowlers Ja'Marr Chase, Travis Kelce, Brock Bowers, Zay Flowers and Jerry Jeudy, Surtain allowed just six receptions for 52 yards and an 8.3 passer rating on 16 targets. Surtain also recorded a pair of interceptions and did not allow a touchdown.
The AP Defensive Player of the Year award caps off a stellar awards season for Surtain. The fourth-year player was named the Pro Football Writers of America's Defensive Player of the Year, the 101 Awards' AFC Defensive Player of the Year, a first-team AP All-Pro, a Pro Bowler, a first-team NFLPA Players' All-Pro, a PFWA All-NFL and All-AFC selection, a Sporting News All-NFL selection and the Demaryius Thomas Team MVP Award winner.
