The Lead
Pro Bowl fan voting concludes on Monday, and the Broncos have plenty of deserving candidates for trips to Las Vegas for the 2024 Pro Bowl Games. From former Pro Bowl selections like quarterback Russell Wilson and cornerback Pat Surtain II to prospective first-timers like guard Quinn Meinerz and inside linebacker Alex Singleton, Denver's run to playoff contention has been fueled by some of the top players in the AFC. Here is one statistic for each of the nine Broncos players that explains why they are deserving of your Pro Bowl vote.
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QB Russell Wilson: Four fourth-quarter comebacks
Wilson ranks third in the AFC in touchdown passes (24), third in passer rating among AFC quarterbacks with at least 10 starts and fourth among AFC quarterbacks in rushing yards. A nine-time Pro Bowl selection, Wilson has elevated his play at home and in the clutch and engineered three game-winning drives during the Broncos' five-game winning streak.
WR Courtland Sutton: 10 games with a receiving touchdown
A Pro Bowl selection in 2019, Sutton is playing his best football this season and has emerged as one of the AFC's best red-zone threats. He has excelled at making contested catches — including a 45-yard touchdown reception against Houston and a 46-yard one-handed touchdown grab against Los Angeles in back-to-back weeks — and rates as the best receiver in the NFL in PFF's receiving grade (93.2) and receiving touchdowns (five) on contested targets.
G Quinn Meinerz: Zero sacks surrendered in 841 snaps
The Broncos have made major strides in offensive line play in large part due to health and a couple of big-time acquisitions, but Quinn Meinerz has also been a major part of that leap. Pro Football Focus rates Meinerz as the highest-graded offensive lineman with at least 500 snaps in both run blocking and offensive grade, and he's one of four AFC offensive linemen with at least 500 snaps to not allow a single sack (along with center Lloyd Cushenberry III). His pancake blocks and dominant fourth-down pushes have also made their way to the Broncos' highlight reels.
ILB Alex Singleton: 10 double-digit tackle games
Singleton has been one of the most consistent contributors on the Broncos' defense and a tackling machine at the helm of the defense. Singleton's 84 solo tackles rank third in the AFC, and he's added two fumble recoveries and two sacks to round out an impressive season stat line so far. One of Singleton's best efforts came in a must-win game against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 14: 14 total tackles, one sack, one pass defensed and a fourth-down stuff in a 24-7 victory.
CB Pat Surtain II: No. 1 in man coverage
The 2022 first-team All-Pro selection needs little introduction, but his game has continued to grow in his third year in Denver. Surtain has been especially effective in man coverage, ranking as the league's best cornerback among qualified players in passer rating allowed, yards per target allowed and yards per snap allowed as the nearest defender prior to Week 15, according to NFL Next Gen Stats. One example of his success? He limited Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams to two catches for 11 yards in the teams' Week 1 matchup.
S Justin Simmons: Three interceptions and two forced fumbles
In third place in fan voting for the Pro Bowl, Simmons is well-deserving of his second Pro Bowl nod. Denver's defense took a major step forward after Simmons returned from a hip injury early in the season. The longest-tenured Bronco has been a key part of the Denver defense's turnover spree, including interceptions of Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes in both of the teams' matchups.
WR/Returner Marvin Mims Jr.: 28.5 yards per kickoff return and 16.9 yards per punt return
Rookie wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr. has made some splash plays in the passing game, but he's made his biggest impact on special teams. Mims spearheads a Broncos return game that leads the league in kickoff return average and punt return average, and his 99-yard kickoff return touchdown against Miami is one of two kickoffs to be returned for a score this season.
K Wil Lutz: 93.1% field goal percentage
An offseason trade acquisition, Lutz has found a home in Denver and won the AFC Special Teams Player of the Month award in November after making all 11 of his field goals in the month. Lutz has connected on all nine of his fourth-quarter field goal attempts and made go-ahead kicks against Chicago, Green Bay and Buffalo.
P Riley Dixon: 6.3 yards per punt return against
Another key special-teams addition, Dixon has become a major weapon in the field position battle. Thanks to his significant hang time on his punts, opposing returners average just 6.3 yards per return, the third-lowest punt return average among AFC punters. Dixon has placed 21 punts inside the opponents' 20-yard line and his punts have drawn 25 fair-catches, second-most in the AFC.
