On Friday, the Associated Press released its 2023 All-Pro team, and two Denver Broncos made the list. However, Pro Bowl cornerback Patrick Surtain II was not one of them.
Safety Justin Simmons and rookie kick/punt returner Marvin Mims Jr. earned second-team All-Pro honors. Both Broncos All-Pros were also selected to the Pro Bowl.
This marks the fourth career All-Pro nod for Simmons. He also has two Pro Bowl selections on his resume.
At 30 years old, Simmons has been one of the few individual bright spots in Denver since arriving as a third-round pick back in 2016. Conspicuously absent from his resume, however, is a playoff berth. The Broncos have missed the playoffs in each of Simmons' eight seasons.
The veteran safety is under contract for 2024, set to make $14.5 million. With an $18.2M cap number, it wouldn't be surprising to see the Broncos extend Simmons to keep him around and also create some financial breathing room.
As a rookie, Mims appeared in 16 games with six starts. He finished with a 16.4 yards-per-return average on punts and a 26.5-yard average on kicks. He also took one kickoff to the house.
Surtain's omission from the All-Pro team is conspicuous, but it's also evidence that his 2023 campaign wasn't as sterling as the year prior. He finished seventh in All-Pro voting.
After being snubbed for the Pro Bowl (though he is an alternate), I predicted that Broncos right guard Quinn Meinerz would land on the All-Pro team. It's a freezing-cold take now that was disappointingly proven to be incorrect, despite his obvious worthiness.
Meinerz finished tied at fourth in the voting, according to Denver7's Troy Renck. We're talking about the third-highest-graded guard in the NFL via Pro Football Focus, with the best run-blocking grade (88.8 tied). Meinerz played at an All-Pro level, and while it's disappointing to see him get snubbed, his future in Denver is bright.
Fullback Mike Burton, who is also a Pro Bowl alternate, finished fourth in this year's All-Pro voting, per Renck. The Broncos had several other players receive votes from the A.P., including wide receiver Courtland Sutton, left tackle Garett Bolles, linebacker Alex Singleton, nickel cornerback Ja'Quan McMillian, and punter Riley Dixon.
More must-reads: