With the regular season now over, the Denver Broncos head to the postseason. Who were the five best players in the regular season? A team that many thought was one of the least-talented in the NFL just ripped off a 10-7 season and have a ton of players and coaches who could be finalists for major awards.
The Denver Broncos proved a ton of people wrong this year, period. And now this team has a Wild Card date with the Buffalo Bills next weekend. The Broncos could actually match up quite well with the Bills, but Denver is playing with house money this year, so a loss in the playoffs against the Bills is still a hugely successful season.
Let's power-rank the five best Denver Broncos players of the 2024 regular season.
Here are the 5 best Denver Broncos players of the 2024 regular season
5. Nik Bonitto, EDGE
How about Nik Bonitto? The pass-rusher broke out in a big way in 2024 and should ink a long-term extension with the Denver Broncos this coming offseason. In 2024, Bonitto had 13.5 sacks, 16 tackles for loss, and 24 QB hits. He also had two defensive touchdowns. If Bonitto doesn't finish in the top-5 of the NFL Defensive Player of the Year voting, something went very wrong.
From being a player who could not set the edge in the run game to being an every-week starter, Nik Bonitto hit his stride and is going to be an elite rusher for years to come for the Denver Broncos.
4. Quinn Meinerz, RG
Grading out as one of the best guards in football this year, Quinn Meinerz could be well on his way to an All-Pro nod in 2024. He was the best player along the Denver Broncos' offensive line this year and did ink an extension with the team recently. Meinerz was a diamond-in-the-rough draft pick by George Paton back in 2021.
And that 2021 class is turning out to be a huge success for the Denver Broncos, as it also featured Patrick Surtain II and Jonathon Cooper, who both also signed extensions with the team for years to come. Meinerz is a top-3 guard in the NFL and is a total menace along the offensive line.
3. Bo Nix, QB
Bo Nix finished his rookie season with 29 passing touchdowns, four rushing touchdowns, and one receiving touchdown. He took just 24 sacks and finished with a stellar 93.3 passer rating for a rookie. It is not outageous to suggest that Nix is a top-10 QB in the NFL right now.
The kid simply knows how to play football, and him being a five-year starter in college is surely a huge reason for that. The Denver Broncos are in great hands with Bo Nix for the long-term, and they are about to explode next offseason and add a ton of talent around Nix.
2. Zach Allen, DE
Zach Allen finished 2024 with the best year of his career. He had a career-high in sacks, tackles for loss, and QB fits. Finishing with 8.5 sacks, 15 tackles for loss, and 40 QB hits, Allen was one of the best defensive linemen in football this year and should make the first-team All-Pro squad this year. I would also anticipate the Denver Broncos trying to further extend Zach Allen beyond 2025, as he is on a three-year deal that began in 2023.
Zach Allen was tremendous in the regular season for the Denver Broncos.
1. Patrick Surtain II, CB
Objectively the best CB in the NFL this year and probably your NFL Defensive Player of the Year, Patrick Surtain II finished the 2024 NFL Season with four interceptions, 11 passes defended, and 45 total tackles. According to Pro Football Reference, he allowed 35 completions for 298 yards and two touchdowns, allowing an opposing passer rating of 55.6.
Fifty-five point six! Surtain was simply blanketing the oppositions no. 1 WRs on a weekly basis. The one thing that could hurt him, and it really should not if you think about it, is him playing CB - the DPOY award is now typically going to be best pass rusher, and the top pass rusher usually has some insane stats to boot.
The issue with CBs is that the good ones generally don't get the ball thrown their way, so the stats are hard to come by. Anyway, Patrick Surtain II was the best player on the Broncos in the regular season and is the best defensive player in the NFL this year.