Broncos Well-Represented In Top 10 Positional Rankings

While the Denver Broncos prepare for the upcoming season, ESPN has fans getting very excited for next year. 

The media company released multiple top-10 lists, broken down by position, and the Broncos are well represented. First, let's take a look at how this ranking was determined. ESPN noted that they had "surveyed league executives, coaches and scouts to help us rank the top 10 players at 11 different positions."

Eric starts it off with ESPN's cornerback ranking, where Denver's Pat Surtain II came in at No. 1. 

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler wrote "Surtain held a convincing grip on the process, eliciting more than 75% of the first-place votes." Then, transcribed a quote on Surtain, "It's not close," a seasoned NFL coordinator said. 'A generational player'. Watch the AFC Championship Game. He was the best player on the field by far."  

Moving on to edge rushers, Broncos' Nik Bonitto cracked the top-10 as well, coming in at No. 10. Fowler wrote  "He's got maybe the best get-off in the league," said a high-ranking personnel evaluator with an NFL team. 'Serious closing speed. He's on the quarterback as soon as the ball's snapped. Good spin move and excellent lower-body flexibility."

Defensive tackle Zach Allen came in at No. 8 for his position, with Fowler giving high praise to the 28-year-old,  "Allen finally cracked the top 10 after an impressive run in Denver. It's hard to ignore his pass-rush prowess, as his 131 quarterback hits since 2022 are eight more than the next-closest player, Myles Garrett. And Allen's 117 pressures during that span rank third most among interior defensive linemen. He can finish the backfield too, with 15.5 sacks over the past two seasons."

Offensive tackle Garrett Bolles was the last of the Broncos to make the list, coming in at No. 10 for his position. 

Denver is finally getting the recognition it deserves, and our trio is as ecstatic as any Broncos fan about the rankings. 

With this list did come a notable snub, however, as quartback Bo Nix didn't crack the top-10 or the honorable mentions category. Mike dives into the disrespect to Nix, and explains why he should have at the very least been an HM. 

QB's such as Philadelphia Eagles' Jalen Hurts, Jacksonville Jaguars' Trevor Lawrence, Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Baker Mayfield, San Francisco 49ers' Brock Purdy, Green Bay Packers' Jordan Love, Washington Commanders' Jayden Daniels and Seattle Seahawks' Sam Darnold were some of the HM names that were questionably above Nix. 

The rankings lead to a conversation about the the current state of Super Bowl Contenders, and where Denver falls within that debate. 

Listen to the full episode above, leave any comments below with your thoughts on the top-10 lists, current state of the Broncos and any predictions on the upcoming season. 

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