PFF Highlights Broncos' Biggest Reason for 2023 Optimism

The Denver Broncos were not a fun product to watch this season. The offense underachieved. The defense regressed as the season went on. The exciting new franchise quarterback’s appearances, both on and off the field, grew increasingly concerning, and the injuries never stopped piling up.

If Broncos Country could use the 'neuralyzer' from Men in Black to wipe its memory of the entire 2022 season, it probably would. Heck, wipe everything clean from the Super Bowl 50 victory and on. There just hasn’t been much to be too optimistic about in Broncos Country.

All is not lost, though. The Broncos now have Sean Payton as head coach and a quarterback going into next season.

The Broncos also finally settled the ownership situation, something that had hung over the franchise like a dark cloud for many years. Not only is the pending ownership search over, but the Broncos are now owned by the wealthiest ownership group in all of football.

Further adding to Denver’s hope, the Broncos may have the best defensive back in all of football. According to Pro Football Focus, Patrick Surtain II is the Broncos’ single biggest reason for optimism heading into the offseason.

Surtain has looked like a true star in his sophomore season, finishing the year with the second-highest coverage (86.7) and overall grades (86.7) for his position. Surtain was worth 0.63 wins above replacement (WAR), which was second among all defensive players. He allowed just 0.65 yards per coverage snap — fifth-best at his position. The former ninth-overall pick put himself in the conversation as a true lock-down corner with his performance this season, helping the Broncos’ defense finish among the best coverage units in the entire league.

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While Denver dealt with injuries in the secondary, having Justin Simmons and K’Waun Williams miss time with dings and bruises and starting boundary cornerback Ronald Darby miss a majority of the season with an ACL injury, Surtain was the team’s one constant.

After a down spell in Weeks 11 and 12, where Surtain struggled (compared to his lofty standard), he rebounded and finished the season exceedingly strong. Surtain earned first-team All-Pro from the NFLPA and Associated Press this season and has seemingly cemented himself as one of the true premier players in the entire NFL.

Can Payton “fix” Wilson? Can the offensive line be improved to the extent that is likely needed for this offense to function? How can Denver improve its defensive front that struggled down the stretch? Many questions with few answers at this point.

What is not a question, though? Surtain. He is good at football; at just 22 years old, he’s likely to be good for a long time.

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