Denver Broncos superstar cornerback Patrick Surtain II recently joked that he was running out of space to display his ever-growing collection of awards and accolades.
"They're stashed away in the basement at the crib," Surtain II remarked towards the season's end. "I got a little awards section around. I'm running out of room."
This week, that storage space got smaller as Surtain was named to the Pro Football Writers of America's All-AFC Team. Surtain was joined by rookie teammate Marvin Mims Jr. as the PFWA's All-AFC kick returner.
This is Surtain's second straight year of earning PFWA honors, and while his continued success is impressive, the 23-year-old still has a ways to go to catch up with former Broncos icon Von Miller's five consecutive awards, which dated from 2014-18. If Surtain sticks around in the AFC, and it's somewhat of a safe bet that he will, it could only be a short matter of time before he catches up with the legendary Super Bowl 50 MVP.
As for Mims, the Broncos' explosive young specialist will certainly be elated by another accolade on his rookie resume after earning dual Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro honors. However, some degree of disappointment could register with Surtain because the PFWA dovetailed its All-Conference team announcement with the unveiling of its annual All-NFL squad, and the Broncos' cornerback was omitted.
That's not to say Surtain's consistent lockdown performances this past season didn't garner attention — he was voted to the Pro Bowl — just perhaps not quite enough. We can perhaps attribute that to Surtain having never played on a winning team since entering the league in 2021.
If 'PS2' was playing on a playoff team, it would be no great stretch to imagine that much wider national recognition would follow. Unleashing Surtain within a more weaponized defense is one solution to explore, and it's perhaps why several mock drafts are now suggesting that the Broncos won't reach for a quarterback in the upcoming draft and will instead take a cornerback at pick No. 12.
Multiple national draft mocksters have predicted of late that the Broncos will add Alabama cornerback Terrion Arnold at No. 12 overall to pair opposite Surtain. Arnold might indeed be the perfect scheme fit and pairing with Surtain.
The Broncos need to find ways to prevent opposing teams from simply throwing away from Surtain. Adding a bonafide talent opposite PS2 might increase his traditionally low interception totals and big-play opportunities, even on a defense where he still remains the star.
In the final analysis, bigger numbers and exposure always lead to wider recognition — even if it means Surtain might have to get busy building himself a new trophy cabinet.
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