There’s a lot of talk about the Denver Broncos dealing their young star defender and even though the team has dispelled these rumors they have persisted for good reason — Patrick Surtain II is one of the best.

Well, what if Surtain joined seemingly dozens of people with Broncos ties but on a team actually competing right now? That’s what Bleacher Report floated this week when they named PS2 as a dream off-season get for the San Francisco 49ers. Sound crazy? Well, it’s something the 49ers were into before the trade deadline this past fall. The team checked in with the Broncos on the corner before making a move for Chase Young.

Now low on cap space and seemingly wanting to add to a defense whose coordinator was just fired despite a Super Bowl appearance, could John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan circle back on Surtain?

The deal would be fascinating for the Broncos to make because it would no doubt be their biggest asset on the move and in a trade for quantity over quality. As the 49ers hold the 31st pick in this year’s NFL Draft and have only missed the playoffs once in the past four seasons, Denver would essentially be settling for later into-round picks.

With some having said PS2 could be worth two firsts, or maybe even a the piece needed for the Broncos if they want to move up from No. 12 to No. 2 in this year’s NFL Draft as they seek a quarterback—it’s a fair assumption that the bottom of the first round pick wouldn’t move the needle much for Denver. The Broncos would have to get a haul of possibly several first-rounders for the Alabama product.

It’s an interesting question if George Paton and Sean Payton are presented with it—if you’re willing to trade Surtain, is it in one giant swing for a single high-ranking pick that could be your franchise quarterback or would they rather get multiple firsts spread out over many years. The team both doesn’t have a starting quarterback and hasn’t been to the playoffs since 2016 so they’re in desperate need of talented away from signal caller as well.

As for PS2, he’s on his rookie deal for one more season—making him a prime candidate for a championship contender to see him as the final piece. The two-time Pro Bowler has played 50 games for the Broncos since being selected ninth overall in the 2021 Draft and is widely regarded as one of the premier defensive players in the NFL.

There have been few trades of this type in NFL history, Jalen Ramsey has twice been dealt including once while considered the top corner in the game, and that netted the Jags two firsts. Darrelle Revis was also traded near his prime for a first-rounder and of course, the Broncos have been the acquiring team in one of these deals—scoring Champ Bailey and a second-rounder for Clinton Portis.

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