Denver Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain II looking on.CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – OCTOBER 01: Pat Surtain II #2 of the Denver Broncos looks on against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on October 01, 2023 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
An enticing trade proposal has the Denver Broncos dealing their franchise star to a prime Super Bowl contender over in the NFC.

The Broncos are expected to release veteran quarterback Russell Wilson this offseason. Wide receivers Jerry Jeudy and Courtland Sutton have also been mentioned in trade rumors, but All-Pro cornerback Patrick Surtain II is unquestionably GM George Paton’s best trade chip right now.

Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay proposed a trade idea that has the Broncos sending Surtain II to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for their first three selections of 2024: The No. 31, No. 63 and No. 94 picks:
“While the Broncos would presumably like to keep Surtain around for years to come, they’re facing major financial ramifications from Russell Wilson’s contract and have been reeling from the loss of draft capital in that trade. Getting a plethora of picks in addition to cap relief—Surtain is eligible for a massive extension this offseason—could potentially sway the Broncos into making a move.

That type of talent would push San Francisco’s secondary to the next level. Seeing as the Niners conceded 333 yards and a pair of touchdowns to Patrick Mahomes in the Super Bowl, Surtain’s presence might have made the difference in a game that went down to the waning moments of overtime.”
Surtain II certainly makes sense for a 49ers team that could use more help in the secondary. Their pass defense struggled after losing All-Pro safety Talanoa Hufanga late in the season with a torn ACL.

And though the 49ers finished with the third-best scoring defense in 2023, they ranked just 14th against the pass (214.2 yards allowed per game).

Adding a five-star shutdown corner in Surtain II to that defense could help the 49ers finally get over the top. Clearly, they’re missing a couple more pieces in the secondary to contain their kryptonite in Patrick Mahomes (4-0 against the 49ers, including 2-0 in Super Bowls) and the Kansas City Chiefs.

Kay’s trade proposal also makes perfect sense for the Broncos, who would get three much-needed early-round picks to begin their retooling phase.