If you were watching the NFL Honors in New Orleans last February, you saw something that doesn't happen very often. A cornerback standing on that stage. Not a pass rusher with twenty sacks. Not a middle linebacker who hits like a freight train. Just a guy who makes elite wide receivers disappear for sixty minutes at a time.
Patrick Surtain II winning the AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year for the 2024 season was a massive shift in how we think about "value" on defense.
For years, this award has been a private club for the guys who hunt quarterbacks. Think about it. Before Surtain, the last defensive back to win was Stephon Gilmore in 2019. Before that? You have to go back to Troy Polamalu in 2010. We’ve basically spent a decade obsessed with sack numbers. If you didn't have double-digit sacks, voters usually didn't want to talk to you. But Surtain’s 2024 campaign was so statistically absurd that the panel of 50 sportswriters couldn't look away.
He didn't just play well. He took over the league.
How Patrick Surtain II Won AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year
Voters are human. They like big moments. Surtain gave them a 100-yard pick-six against the Raiders in Week 5 that basically served as his "I'm here" announcement. But the real story was in the stuff that didn't happen.
According to Next Gen Stats, Surtain was targeted on only 10.9% of his coverage snaps. That is the lowest rate in the league for anyone with at least 300 snaps. Basically, quarterbacks looked at his side of the field and decided it wasn't worth the risk. It’s the ultimate paradox of playing corner. If you’re truly the best, you have fewer chances to make plays because nobody throws your way.
The Lockdown Numbers
Surtain held some of the best in the business to virtually nothing. Look at this list:
- Ja’Marr Chase
- Travis Kelce
- Garrett Wilson
- DK Metcalf
In 92 snaps against Pro Bowl-level talent, he allowed just six catches. Six. Total. He allowed 0.6 yards per coverage snap. That is lockdown. That is why he beat out absolute monsters like Trey Hendrickson and T.J. Watt. Hendrickson had a career year, and Watt is... well, he’s T.J. Watt. But Surtain's season felt different. It felt like "Surtain Island" was a real physical place where careers went to die for a week.
The History of the DPOY Logjam
Winning this thing once is hard. Winning it three times makes you a god. Right now, only three men share that peak: Lawrence Taylor, J.J. Watt, and Aaron Donald.
It's kinda funny how the award trends. In the 70s and 80s, it was all about the "Steel Curtain" Steelers or the "Orange Crush" Broncos. Speaking of Denver, Surtain is actually only the second Bronco to ever win it. The first was Randy Gradishar back in 1978. That’s a 46-year gap.
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The voting has changed a lot too. It used to be a simple "who do you like" system. Now, we have a weighted ballot where 50 voters pick their top five. Your first-place vote gets you five points, second gets four, and so on. It’s designed to prevent a "spoiler" from winning, but it also means you need a lot of consensus to take the trophy home.
Position Bias is Real
If you play linebacker, you’re in luck. Historically, linebackers have won the AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year 17 times. Defensive ends are right behind them with 15. Cornerbacks? We’re only at seven total winners in over fifty years of the award.
That’s what makes Surtain's win so heavy. He had to be twice as good as the pass rushers to get the same respect. When you see a guy like Myles Garrett or T.J. Watt get a sack, the whole stadium feels it. When a corner plays a perfect game, you might not even hear his name called on the broadcast. Silence is the goal.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Voting
People love to scream about "snubs." Every year, the T.J. Watt fan club (which is basically the entire city of Pittsburgh) gets into a heated war with the Myles Garrett supporters.
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The truth? The AP voters are looking for the "narrative" as much as the stats. In 2024, the narrative was the Denver Broncos’ resurrection. They went 10-7 and finally broke their playoff drought. Surtain wasn't just a "stat guy" on a bad team; he was the heartbeat of a defense that ranked third in points allowed.
If the Broncos had gone 5-12, honestly, he probably wouldn't have won. Team success matters more than the AP likes to admit. They want a winner who actually contributes to winning.
The "Unanimous" Rarity
Only one person has ever won this award unanimously: J.J. Watt in 2014. He got all 50 first-place votes. That’s insane. Even in years where someone seems like a lock, there’s always one voter who thinks a nose tackle in Tennessee had a more "impactful" season. Surtain got 26 first-place votes, which is a solid majority, but it shows how split the room usually is when you have guys like Trey Hendrickson breathing down your neck.
Why This Matters for the Future
We are entering a new era of defensive evaluation. We're moving away from "how many sacks did he get?" and toward "how much did he disrupt the offensive game plan?"
If you're a young defensive player, the blueprint has changed. You don't have to be 270 pounds to be the most valuable player on the field. You can be a technician. You can be a guy who studies film so hard he knows the route before the receiver does.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Bettors
If you’re looking at who might win the 2025 or 2026 award, stop just looking at the sack leaders. Keep an eye on:
- Target Rate: Is the QB afraid of them?
- EPA (Expected Points Added): How much does the defense improve when they are on the field?
- Versatility: Can they move from the slot to the outside?
The 2024 voting showed that the "No-Fly Zone" mentality is back in style. Patrick Surtain II didn't just win a trophy; he validated an entire style of play that usually gets ignored when the hardware is handed out.
To really understand the AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year, you have to look at the players who change how the opposing coach calls the game on Tuesday morning. That’s what Surtain did. He made offensive coordinators rewrite their playbooks. And in a league designed for offense to win, there’s nothing more valuable than a guy who says "not today."
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Keep an eye on the defensive snaps per game for the top candidates next season. If a player is staying on the field for 95% of snaps and their "targets against" remain low while their team is winning, you've found your next frontrunner.