Report: 'Desperate' Team Could Trade All-Pro During NFL Draft

The Denver Broncos need a quarterback, and the top options won’t be on the board with the 12th-overall pick. After cutting ties with Russell Wilson – and taking on a record $85 million in dead cap to do so – the team currently has journeyman backup Jarrett Stidham atop their depth chart. Stidham probably doesn’t have what it takes to be a franchise quarterback, and Paul Allen of KFAN1003 recently said that a desperate Broncos team could trade star cornerback Patrick Surtain to move up in the 2024 NFL Draft.

A first-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, the Alabama product wasted no time in establishing himself as one of the best cornerbacks in the league. Patrick Surtain would fetch a large return in a trade, as he’s already earned First-Team All-Pro honors and made it to two Pro Bowls during his three years in the league. Now entering his age-24 season, he should have at least 5-7 more years of elite play left in his tank.

Denver Broncos Could Trade Patrick Surtain For J.J. McCarthy

The Broncos won’t want to trade Patrick Surtain, but it might be their only way to secure a franchise quarterback. As of this posting, the team only has two picks in the first three rounds – the 12th-overall pick and the 76th-overall pick. Per the Drafttek Value Chart, this is roughly equivalent to the eighth-overall pick.

Denver would probably prefer to give up both of their early-round picks rather than trade Patrick Surtain, but all the good quarterbacks will probably be off the board before the eighth-overall pick. It is a foregone conclusion that the Bears, Commanders, and Patriots will select quarterbacks with the first three picks. After that, however, every quarterback-needy team in the league will battle it out for J.J. McCarthy, the presumed QB4 in this class.

How the Broncos Can Get A Top-Five Pick

It’s an open secret that the New York Giants have buyer’s remorse with Daniel Jones, so it’s hard to see McCarthy slipping past the sixth-overall pick. This means that if the Broncos want to get a quarterback, they’ll need to trade up with either the Arizona Cardinals or Los Angeles Chargers, and they’ll probably be bidding against the Giants and Vikings.

The Cardinals won’t want to trade back, as they already have six picks in the top 100 and won’t want to pass up on an elite prospect like Marvin Harrison Jr. or Malik Nabers. The Los Angeles Chargers, however, could be willing to move back. Reports indicate that Jim Harbaugh wants to draft a tackle in the first round, and they could try to get a desperate Broncos team to trade the 12th-overall pick and Patrick Surtain for the fifth-overall selection.

Chances are, this price will be too high for the Broncos, and the Chargers will have to throw in a second- or third-round pick to accommodate such a move. However, if Denver wants a quarterback, they’ll need to include Patrick Surtain in a trade. The Giants hold the sixth-overall pick, so the Chargers could trade back with them, select their preferred prospect, and get an extra draft pick for basically nothing. The Vikings, meanwhile, have two first-round picks and should be willing to part ways with both. Perhaps the Broncos decide to stay put at 12, but if they trade Patrick Surtain, it will probably be to the division-rival Los Angeles Chargers.