Patrick Surtain injury could bolster another Broncos' DPOY case

Denver Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain's absence could be outside linebacker Nik Bonitto's gain.

On Monday, ESPN Broncos reporter Jeff Legwold shared that Surtain, the 2024 Associated Press Defensive Player of the Year, is likely to miss multiple weeks after suffering a pectoral strain in Week 8's 44-22 win over the Dallas Cowboys.

According to Legwold, Surtain "could be a candidate for injured reserve," which would force him to miss at least four games. With the star defensive back be out several weeks, Bonitto has a chance to bolster an already strong Defensive Player of the Year case, giving Denver two consecutive award winners.

Patrick Surtain injury opens door for Nik Bonitto to strengthen DPOY claim

Through eight games, Bonitto has arguably been the best player on a Broncos defense that entered "Monday Night Football" No. 5 in scoring and total defense. He leads the team in sacks (eight) and is only two behind New York Giants edge-rusher Brian Burns and Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett for the most in NFL.

Per NFL Pro data, Bonitto is tied with Giants rookie Abdul Carter for the league's most quick quarterback pressures (under three seconds) among linebackers at 19. He has one of the quickest get-off times among qualifying linebackers, crossing the line of scrimmage an average of 0.77s after the snap.

With Denver down its best coverage corner, it will be imperative for Bonitto to generate pressure, impacting the timing of opponents' passing attacks. With a strong run over the next few games, he could improve his standing in the DPOY race.

Bonitto is one of the top candidates for this year's award, along with Garrett, Micah Parsons (Green Bay Packers) and Aidan Hutchinson (Detroit Lions). He's successfully built on a sensational 2024 season, when he finished with a career-high 13.5 sacks, made his first Pro Bowl, was named second-team All-Pro and finished ninth in DPOY voting.

As solid as he was a year ago, Bonitto justifiably ceded the spotlight to Surtain, who nearly had as many interception return yards (132) as receiving yards allowed in coverage (166) en route to his second first-team All-Pro honors and first Defensive Player of the Year award.

But Bonitto will be more of a focal point with Surtain sidelined. That could be all he needs to end the year with hardware of his own.