Okay, so get this: Pat Surtain II, that dude is officially the king of cornerbacks, straight up. He just snatched the No. 1 spot for the second year running on ESPN's top 10 list, even after missing three games with a shoulder injury last season. Can you believe it? An NFL coordinator didn't hold back either, telling ESPN that Surtain is "a generational player" and adding, "It's not close... Watch the AFC Championship Game. He was the best player on the field by far." I mean, come on, that's not just high praise, that's *ridiculous* praise for a guy who just keeps shutting down receivers. The league knows who the top dog is in the secondary, that's for sure.
The Defensive Front Is About to Go Wild
But hey, it's not just Surtain getting all the shine, right? Denver's defensive front is looking absolutely stacked, with both Nik Bonitto and Zack Allen cracking their respective top 10 lists this time around. Neither of them were even *ranked* last year! Bonitto, the edge rusher, soared to No. 10 after pulling off a career-best 14 sacks last season. His 23.7% pass rush win rate? That was flat-out second in the entire NFL. Dude is on a mission. And right there with him is defensive tackle Zack Allen, who snagged the No. 8 spot. Allen also made the NFL Top 100 at No. 73, and get this: he expects Denver to straight up break the NFL sacks record this season. That's a bold claim, but his stats seriously back up that swagger. He's put up 131 quarterback hits since 2022, eight more than Myles Garrett, 117 pressures over that time ranking third among interior linemen, and 15.5 sacks over the past two seasons. If these guys are living up to that kind of recognition, this defensive front is going to be an absolute nightmare for opposing offenses.Bolles' All-Pro Protection Up Front
The offensive line isn't getting ignored either, with left tackle Garett Bolles landing at No. 10 in ESPN's recent rankings. Just like Bonitto and Allen, Bolles wasn't on this list a season ago. But after earning first-team All-Pro honors in 2025, it's no shock he's getting recognized. An NFL coordinator even dropped a quote to ESPN, saying, "Pass protection, he’s one of the most consistent... He can handle his own without help. He was a big part of the Broncos’ success on offense last year." That's high praise for an O-lineman! Bolles was a total brick wall out there, allowing only five sacks on 630 pass-blocking reps and posting a monster 94% pass block win rate, which was ninth among all tackles. A solid left tackle means the QB has time to make crucial plays, and that's absolutely massive for any offense. So, when you look at Surtain leading the charge on defense, a revitalized pass rush with Bonitto and Allen ready to eat, and Bolles holding down the fort on the offensive line, it looks like these early season rankings are setting the stage for some serious noise from Denver this year. They've clearly got the talent, and now the league's top execs, coaches, and scouts are all recognizing it. The big question now is, can they live up to all this hype and bring that talent to life on the field when it counts? The season is just getting started.This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.