ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Following a 10-win season, five Broncos have earned Associated Press All-Pro honors.
Cornerback Pat Surtain II, right guard Quinn Meinerz and punt returner Marvin Mims Jr. were awarded first-team All-Pro nods, the Associated Press announced Friday.
Defensive lineman Zach Allen and outside linebacker Nik Bonitto both earned second-team selections. Allen was chosen as an interior defensive lineman, while Bonitto tied for a second-team spot at edge rusher.
The Broncos' three first-team selections are the franchise's most since 2016. Denver's five total AP All-Pro selections are also the most in the same season in nearly 20 years, when six players earned the honor following the Broncos' 1996 season. The five selections are tied for the second most in franchise history.
Surtain, previously chosen as a Pro Bowler and NFLPA Players' All-Pro for 2024, has been named a first-team All-Pro for the second time in his career. He is just the third Broncos defender since the 1970 merger to earn a pair of first-team All-Pro selections in his first four seasons. In addition to tying his career high with four interceptions, Surtain ranked first among NFL cornerbacks with at least 400 coverage snaps in yards allowed, target rate and yards allowed per coverage snap. Hall of Famer Champ Bailey is the only defensive back in franchise history with more first-team All-Pro selections (3) than Surtain.
Meinerz, another key contributor from the Broncos' 2021 draft class, earned the first-team All-Pro honor for the first time in his career. A first alternate for the AFC Pro Bowl team, Meinerz allowed one or fewer pressures in 11 games this season, according to Next Gen Stats. Meinerz also allowed just one sack while giving up the lowest pressure rate (3.6%) among guards. He is the first Broncos guard to earn first-team All-Pro honors since Louis Vasquez in 2013.
Mims, who joined Surtain as a Pro Bowler and 2024 Players' All-Pro selection, also earned his first AP first-team All-Pro honors. The Broncos' do-it-all player led the NFL in punt-return yardage (15.7 yards per return) and previously earned AFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors after his performance against Indianapolis. Mims is the Broncos' first returner to be named an AP first-team All-Pro since Ring of Famer Rick Upchurch in 1982. The second-year player earned second-team All-Pro status as a rookie.
Allen, who set a new career mark with 8.5 sacks, earned All-Pro for the first time in his six-year career. The veteran defender led all defensive tackles with 67 quarterback pressers, per Next Gen Stats. He also had 14 pressures when double-teamed, which ranked fifth among all NFL defenders. Allen led the NFL in quarterback hits with 40, and he is just the fifth player since 2006 — joining J.J. Watt, T.J. Watt, Nick Bosa and Aaron Donald — to post that many quarterback hits in a season. Allen is the first Broncos interior defensive lineman to earn an All-Pro selection since Trevor Pryce in 2001.
Bonitto finished third in the NFL in sacks and was previously named a Pro Bowl starter. The first-time All-Pro is the first player since J.J. Watt in 2014 to post at least 12 sacks and two touchdowns in a season. Bonitto is the first Broncos edge rusher since Von Miller in 2018 to be named to an AP All-Pro team. The Oklahoma product is the first Bronco to record double-digit sacks since Miller and Bradley Chubb in 2018, and his 2024 campaign is tied for the sixth-most sacks by a Bronco in a season.
