When the Broncos defense has needed a big play this season, more often than not somebody has made one.

Nobody’s made more than cornerback Pat Surtain II and outside linebacker Nik Bonitto.

Thursday morning, that pair was recognized when they were named AFC Pro Bowl starters. So, too, was second-year return man Marvin Mims Jr., giving Denver a trio of starters in the NFL’s all-star game for the second straight year.

Surtain, like Mims, earned the starting nod for the second season in a row after authoring the most dominant campaign of his standout four-year career so far. Bonitto burst onto the scene in his third pro season, racking up 11.5 sacks in a 12-game span, and now has made his first career Pro Bowl.

Bonitto at 25 is the oldest of the three players and all figure to be major parts of Denver’s core group for years to come.

He said his agent called him Tuesday with the news and Broncos general manager George Paton called shortly after to tell him, too.

“I still didn’t kind of believe it. I had to see it, officially, for me to believe it,” Bonitto told reporters Thursday. “… For it to be a reality, it’s just a dream come true.”

Bonitto went on a string of games in which he made decisive plays. He sealed a late-November win at Las Vegas with a strip sack, then scored touchdowns on a pick-six and a fumble return score the next two games against Cleveland and Indianapolis, respectively.

It brought the kind of national attention and appreciation Paton and the Broncos thought Bonitto would garner at some point since they drafted him in the second round of the 2022 draft.

“I always had the confidence in myself, especially in that draft, I knew I was one of the better players in there,” Bonitto said. “And when Denver took a chance on me, I kind of told myself that I want to prove Denver right in why they picked me. I’ve always kind of had that chip on my shoulder.”

Surtain has put together one dominant outing after another. His 100-yard pick-six Week 5 against the Raiders remains a turning point in the season and he’s forced five turnovers despite being among the least-targeted defensive backs in football, according to Next Gen Stats.

“It goes to show the year I’ve had along with this team,” Surtain said. “Obviously, me, Marvin and Nik and a bunch of guys who could be in the Pro Bowl, too. When you put team success and individual success (together), you get accolades like this.”

Surtain said the accolades and his name being in the defensive player of the year conversation is “pretty cool,” but “that’s not my main goal. My main goal is to continue to be the best version of myself to help this team win and get to the next step, which is the playoffs. And obviously to hopefully get to that Super Bowl ring. We’ve got bigger goals in mind, but to be mentioned in high regard with other defenders around the league means a lot.”

Mims is being recognized for his return work — a 61-yard punt return set up Denver’s go-ahead touchdown in a critical win against the Colts — but he’s become a real offensive weapon in recent weeks, too. He’s now the Broncos’ second-leading receiver at 452 yards, and over the past six games he’s played at a 1,085-yard pace and caught three touchdowns.

“Making it as a return specialist is great and hopefully one day I can make it as a receiver,” said Mims, who joined Von Miller as only the second player in franchise history to make a Pro Bowl his first two years in the NFL.

The Broncos could see their number of representatives grow, unless they’re playing in the Super Bowl and therefore not sending anybody to the early February festivities in Orlando, Fla.

Denver has eight total alternates in the running, led by first alternates in right guard Quinn Meinerz and long snapper Mitchell Fraboni.

Meinerz, like the trio of named starters, led his position group in the fan-voting portion of the selection process among AFC players. Player selections are determined by a combination of fan, player and coach votes, with each group counting for a third.

Left tackle Garett Bolles and kicker Wil Lutz are third alternates.

Rookie quarterback Bo Nix was named a fourth alternate after throwing 25 touchdowns and 12 interceptions and starting in all 16 games for Denver so far. He’s joined in that group by defensive tackle Zach Allen and fullback Michael Burton. Safety Brandon Jones is a fifth alternate.

Allen’s positioning as a fourth alternate is perhaps the biggest surprise. Not only is he up to 8.5 sacks on the season after 3.5 Saturday at Cincinnati, but his 65 pressures, per Next Gen Stats, are ninth-most overall and lead all defensive tackles. He’s played 90% of defensive snaps over his 15 games and also finished No. 2 in the fan portion of the voting behind only Pittsburgh’s Cameron Heyward. Allen could end up getting All-Pro recognition despite the low alternate Pro Bowl finish.