The Pro Bowl does seem to be a popularity contest to a degree, but these three Denver Broncos players could earn their first Pro Bowl nod in 2024. The Broncos are a good football team, and this team should be 7-4 had they figured out how to protect on a field goal.
When teams are good, their players enter the spotlight, and for the Broncos, they could see the continuance of more of their "good" players enter the spotlight as the stretch run happens. Denver controls their own destiny to make the postseason, and with that, they could see a few first-time Pro Bowlers emerge.
3 Denver Broncos players heading toward their first Pro Bowl in 2024
EDGE Nik Bonitto
Folks, Nik Bonitto is now tied for second in the NFL with nine sacks. He's also added 10 tackles for loss and 16 QB hits. Right now, he's on pace to finish the season with 14 sacks, 15 tackles for loss, and 25 QB hits. How would that not be a Pro Bowl season? Bonitto broke out in 2023 and had eight sacks, 13 tackles for loss, and 20 QB hits.
We could see him pass the tackles for loss and QB hits in the next few weeks. He was virtually nonexistent in his rookie season, and many people were wondering why the Broncos had used a second-round pick on Bonitto, but he's among the best pass-rushers in the NFL this year, and with the Broncos being a good team, that puts more attention on their better players.
DL Zach Allen
Through 11 games this year, Zach Allen has essentially matched his production from 2023. In 2023, he finished with 60 total tackles, five sacks eight tackles for loss, and 24 QB hits.
In 2024, through the first 11 weeks, he's got 42 total tackles, 12 tackles for loss, and 21 QB hits. In fact, Allen is on pace for eight sacks, 19 tackles for loss, and 32 QB hits. Allen's production in the stat sheet has actually slightly dipped in recent weeks, but he's a top-5 defensive end in football right now and is anchoring the best pass rush in the NFL and a top-3 defense in the league.
You just have to hope that the Pro Bowl voting can be beneficial to Allen, as it's name recognition, and I am not sure that Allen is a household name just yet, but he absolutely should be, and in a just NFL world, he is a Pro Bowler in 2024.
QB Bo Nix
Let's talk about it. Since the start of Week 3, Bo Nix has tossed 14 touchdown passes against just two interceptions and is playing out of his mind. He's truly getting better each week, and with two more limp defenses before the bye week, Nix could add to this insane rookie season he's had.
He just threw for four touchdowns and over 300 yards in a drubbing of the Atlanta Falcons, who are a good football team. How many quarterbacks are playing better than Bo Nix at the moment? Maybe five? Maybe seven? Not only is Bo Nix the clear favorite for the Offensive Rookie of the Year award, but he's got to now be in some early conversations to make the Pro Bowl.
Currently, he's on pace for 22 touchdown passes, 456 rushing yards, and six rushing touchdowns. He's a true dual-threat passer, and if Denver finds a way into the playoffs, you'd think that Bo Nix could indeed earn his first of many Pro Bowls.