Pat Surtain II should be frontrunner for the Defensive Player of the Year

Through five games, there may not be a better player at his position than Denver Broncos' CB Patrick Surtain II. What a game that was, and it really started when Surtain intercepted Raiders' QB Gardner Minshew, returning the interception 100 yards for a touchdown.

It was the last pick-6 the Broncos had since, you guessed it, Patrick Surtain II against the LA Chargers a couple of years ago. The crucial momentum-shifter helped the Broncos figure out how to play football and ultimately was a huge reason why the team was able to break the game open. The Raiders were driving and it felt like they were going to go up 17-3 in the first half.

Instead, Denver managed to tie the game at 10 and even took the lead going into halftime. The broader story here is the Broncos' defense shutting down Vegas in the second half and the continued dominance of Patrick Surtain II, who is unquestionably the best cornerback in football and should firmly be in the conversation for the Defensive Player of the Year.

He's allowed 0 touchdowns this year and has truly shutdown whoever he's gone against.

The main issue with Patrick Surtain II is that he's simply so good that opposing quarterbacks don't really throw his way a lot, so he's not bee able to rack up insane numbers. He does now have two interceptions on the season and one defensive touchdown, and the Broncos' defense continues to play high-level football. They've allowed just three offensive touchdowns over the last three games against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New York Jets, and Las Vegas Raiders.

And not for nothing, but the offense also got something going in the second half. You can clearly see what the Denver Broncos are building here. The defense hasn't let up, and Surtain is clearly having the best season of his career. And it wasn't too long ago that a cornerback won the DPOY award.

Then New England Patriots' cornerback Stephon Gilmore won the award in 2019, so Surtain could follow in his footsteps in 2024. If the team's offense can begin to piece things together week over week, that takes more strain off of the defense, and that would surely elevate the play of everyone on that unit.

Through five games in the 2024 NFL Season, there hasn't been a more dominant player at his positions than Patrick Surtain II. Can he keep this up as the season progresses?