The Lead

There's plenty of debate this time of year about which NFL players should earn a slew of national awards.

Whether it's MVP, Offensive Rookie of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year or a litany of other national honors, there's no shortage of opinions on who is deserving of the hardware.

In a recent article, ESPN took that debate a step further, as Matt Bowen identified 102 specific traits and chose the best player for each attribute.

The end result featured a pair of Broncos, as cornerback Pat Surtain II and outside linebacker Nik Bonitto combined to top the list for a trio of Bowen's traits.

Surtain earned the nod for "best DB technique" and "best press coverage," as he was the only defensive back in the league to top the list in two different categories.

"Surtain can play with patience in press coverage, trusting his ability to mirror and run," Bowen wrote for the latter category. "Or he can physically take over the matchup, using his length and upper-body pop to shock wide receivers at the line. Two of his interceptions have come in press."

Bonitto, meanwhile, snagged the "quickest first step" superlative. The third-year player has posted a career-high 11 sacks in 2024 and has an impressive ability to fire off the ball toward the opposing backfield.

"Bonitto plays with juice off the ball, which creates opportunities to get on the edges of blockers in a hurry," Bowen wrote. "Per NFL Next Gen Stats, Bonitto's 0.75-second average get-off speed ranks fifth among players with at least 100 pass-rush snaps."