Pat Surtain II reached his second straight Pro Bowl last season.
He did not, however, land on a second consecutive All-Pro team. He doesn't feel snubbed by this, rather he agrees his play fell short of his own expectations.
"I wouldn't necessarily say I got snubbed," Surtain said Friday on The Jim Rome Show. "I just think there's a point in time where you've got to ask yourself, was it your standard that you wanted to put out there? I don't think it was the year I wanted to have as far as the standard I set for myself."
Surtain has more than lived up to the billing of a No. 9 overall pick through three seasons with the Denver Broncos, a tenure that has so far peaked in 2022 when his sticky coverage led to his first major accolades in the form of the aforementioned Pro Bowl and All-Pro nods. Through 50 games played, the 24-year-old has seven career interceptions, 36 passes defensed and 187 tackles.
But he did take a small step back in 2023 from his stellar performance the year before, as did Denver's defense as a whole.
Surtain earned a 69.0 PFF defensive grade for his efforts last season, a 17.8-point drop-off. He allowed a career-worst 60.2 completion percentage and 85.5 passer rating while committing six penalties in coverage -- more than the five combined across his first two seasons.
The Broncos finished 27th in points allowed and 29th in yards allowed, both their worst marks since 2010.
Surtain was still Denver's most trusted cover man at corner and was also dependable as ever in run coverage, although he'll have to raise his game if the Broncos are to escape their eight-year playoff drought.
Especially after Justin Simmons' departure, Surtain, who is under contract for another two years after seeing his fifth-year option picked up, is the unquestioned leader of the secondary.
How he and the rest of the defense fare could very well tell the tale of Denver's season with rookie quarterback Bo Nix likely taking over on the other side at some point this year.
"I know I've got some work to do," Surtain said. "Last year wasn't my best year. I know that as a player and as my standard, that wasn't a year I hold myself to. Obviously I made the Pro Bowl, which is a pretty big accomplishment, but I think things that matter is All-Pros for sure, and that's what people are going to look at at the end of the day."
People will also look at team success -- something Surtain can contribute to by gearing back up to an All-Pro level as training camp gets underway in late July.
