It might seem impossible now, but we cannot count out these three Denver Broncos players from winning major awards in the 2024 NFL Season.
The Denver Broncos need to put themselves back on the map in 2024. It's time for this franchise to figure out how to play football once again. They seem to have the coaching staff in place and could take a leap at the QB spot as well.
If the Broncos are a good team in 2024, individual players would get more recognition. This could even lead to certain players winning awards. Here are three Broncos players who could win major awards in the 2024 NFL Season.
3 Broncos players who could win major awards in the 2024 NFL Season
Offensive Rookie of the Year - Bo Nix
This might be the most likely individual award that any Broncos player could win in the 2024 NFL Season. You could very easily argue that between fit, personnel, and coaching, there is no better rookie QB situation than Bo Nix with this Broncos squad in 2024.
Now yes, some may argue that Chicago Bears QB Caleb Williams is in line for this award given how great of a prospect he is, but the Broncos do boast better offensive coaching and a better offensive line, which could be huge factors here. Bo Nix is definitely going to be competing with some very viable ORoY candidates like WR Marvin Harrison Jr and TE Brock Bowers, among other players, but why can't Nix win the award?
His ceiling as a rookie is quite high given how much experience he has and how much of a pro he already looks and feels like. This is very much in reach for the Broncos rookie passer.
Comeback Player of the Year - Greg Dulcich
This one might be quite a challenge, but I don't see why Broncos TE Greg Dulcich cannot win this award. He played in just two games in the 2023 NFL Season and has played in just 12 across the first two years of his career. However, what we saw in limited action during his rookie season makes me think that the ceiling is quite high for the former UCLA product.
He's clearly got some elite receiving potential, and with teams deploying certain TEs almost exclusively as receivers, that could open up a huge opportunity for Dulcich. With names like Aaron Rodgers and Kirk Cousins the likely favorites for this award, Dulcich may have to flirt with 1,000 yards to be considered.
But with better QB play, and with the possibility that Dulcich can stay healthy for a full season, the Broncos TE has to be in consideration.
Defensive Player of the Year - Patrick Surtain II
CB Stephon Gilmore won the DPoY award in the 2019 NFL Season, so it's not like this can't happen. By Surtain's standards, he had a down year in 2023, but is still the best CB in football. He's now in his fourth year already and is set to play in his age-24 season. With the Broncos beefing up their CB room with guys like Levi Wallace and Kris Abrams-Draine, it's that much more likely that the team can finally land on a viable CB2 opposite Surtain.
Slot CB Ja'Quan McMillian is now going to be the full-time, unquestioned starter there, so with a more consistent secondary, Surtain may be able to feast. Nowadays, the DPoY award is in a way turning into the MVP award. The MVP award is almost always given to a QB, and the DPoY award is almost always given to a pass rusher.
Patrick Surtain II would need to play out of his mind to win the award, but he's the best CB in the NFL, so it's not impossible.