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<\/p>\nA week before his first draft as an NFL general manager, George Paton\u2019s phone rang more than he picked up and dialed.<\/p>\n
Holding the No. 9 selection, Paton knew several teams would be taking quarterbacks early. He said as much in his pre-draft news conference, speculating as many as five could go in the top 10.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s very strong. Kind of depends on what flavor you want,\u201d he said of the group a week before Trevor Lawrence went No. 1 overall to Jacksonville. \u201cBut there could be five, maybe six drafted in the first round.\u201d<\/p>\n
One of the teams trying to move up: Chicago. General manager Ryan Pace held the 20th pick but knew he\u2019d have to jump up the board if he wanted to land one of the quintet of quarterbacks.<\/p>\n
Paton, though, wasn\u2019t inclined to be the one to move back. At least not that far. Plus, on the surface, the Broncos looked like a team that could use a young quarterback to build around themselves.<\/p>\n
Draft day deals sometimes come out of thin air once teams are on the clock, but front offices spend the days and weeks before hand picking their marks and sometimes batting around frameworks for trades. But if your guy is there come draft day, you take him.<\/p>\n
If the Carolina Panthers had opted for Pat Surtain II at No. 8 instead of South Carolina cornerback Jaycee Horn that night, who knows what might have happened at No. 9 for the Broncos?<\/p>\n
But they didn\u2019t. And Paton used his first pick on the 6-foot-2 cornerback from Alabama. Two picks later, Pace moved up to No. 11 to take Ohio State’s Justin Fields in a move that cost him No. 20, a fourth-rounder that year and Chicago\u2019s first and fourth-rounders in 2022.<\/p>\n
The Broncos ended up with an All-Pro. The Bears landed a dynamic quarterback who has yet to show he can cut it as an NFL passer.<\/p>\n
More importantly, neither team has done much in the win-loss column since. The Broncos went 7-10 in 2021, 5-12 last year and are now 0-3 for a mark of 12-25. The Bears? 6-11, 3-14 and 0-3 to 9-28. They meet Sunday as teams that not only could again be picking near the top of the draft next spring, but may also face crossroads decisions with their 2021 selections after this season, though for different reasons.<\/p>\n
Surtain quickly turned himself into one of the NFL\u2019s best young cornerbacks with the Broncos. He played 16 snaps the first game of his rookie year and has started since.<\/p>\n
So much of the conversation leading up to the draft was dominated by quarterbacks. Sure enough, Lawrence went No. 1, the Jets took Zach Wilson and San Francisco traded three first-rounders to move up from No. 12 and take Trey Lance.<\/p>\n
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That group, plus Fields and Mac Jones, took up a ton of airspace despite a bevy of good non-quarterbacks near the top of the board, including Surtain.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere weren\u2019t a whole lot of weaknesses,\u201d ESPN draft analyst Matt Miller said of his pre-draft notes on Surtain. \u201cHe was so incredibly well-coached on top of the pedigree of having a father who was such a good player. Normally with a corner I feel like we poke holes in them, college guys especially, pretty easily. But with him it\u2019s like, ok, you\u2019re 6-2 and 208 pounds. Check. Check. Then you also have speed and length. Honestly, looking back on it, it\u2019s weird that he (didn\u2019t get more attention). I think he was almost underrated because of this rush to say, ‘Oh my gosh, five quarterbacks are going to get taken in the top 15, we\u2019ve got to rank those guys high because they\u2019re going to get drafted high.’\u201d<\/p>\n
Surtain\u2019s not underrated anymore, though his game may still get under appreciated because shutting down opposing receivers isn\u2019t as flashy as sacks or touchdowns.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s a great player, but his best trait is his intelligence,\u201d Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph told The Post during training camp. \u201cObviously he\u2019s tall, he\u2019s fast, he\u2019s got the ball skills, he\u2019s quick, but his best trait is his smarts. That\u2019s really special. He\u2019s unique. He loves to play. He\u2019s got something in his body and his brain that a lot of guys don\u2019t have.\u201d<\/p>\n
Horn, the son of former receiver Joe Horn, showed that kind of ability in 2019 at South Carolina, too, but he dealt with injuries in college and has in the NFL, too. He played three games as a rookie, 13 last year and one so far this season.<\/p>\n
\u201cBoth of those guys had NFL pedigrees with their fathers and everybody knew they were going to come in NFL ready right away,\u201d ESPN draft analyst Jordan Reid, formerly of The Draft Network, told The Post. \u201cBut Surtain is just on another level and he\u2019s already proven to be one of the better players not only in that draft but in the league overall.\u201d<\/p>\n
Atlanta took Kyle Pitts No. 4, then Cincinnati and Miami both hit big at receiver with Ja’Marr Chase and Jaylen Waddle, respectively. Tackle Penei Sewell\u2019s been a key part of Detroit\u2019s rebuild. Then came the corners, Horn and Surtain, before Philadelphia took Alabama receiver DeVonta Smith at No. 10.<\/p>\n
After Chicago took Fields, Dallas ended up with the pick at No. 12 that San Francisco initially dealt to move up and the Cowboys happily selected Micah Parsons, who\u2019s turned into one of the few defensive players most analysts rank even or ahead of Surtain.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s on a Hall of Fame type of trajectory,\u201d Reid said. \u201cAnd I love Surtain, but Micah\u2019s just on a whole other level when we\u2019re talking about the player right now.\u201d<\/p>\n
If a re-draft were held today, the quarterbacks outside of Lawrence would likely drop considerably because of those players.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe New York Jets would rather have Micah Parsons,\u201d Miller said. \u201cThe 49ers would probably rather have Surtain. And even, I love Kyle Pitts,\u00a0 but the Falcons have no idea how to use him. So, Surtain\u2019s not getting past No. 4.<\/p>\n
“He\u2019s too talented.\u201d<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n
That\u2019s the way many draft analysts and front-office folks thought about Fields, too. He showed every physical tool you could want at Ohio State.<\/p>\n
He wasn\u2019t going to leapfrog Lawrence, considered a generational quarterback prospect, but after that the door seemed wide open.<\/p>\n
Miller and Reid each had him ranked as their No. 2 quarterback in the class.<\/p>\n
Broncos head coach Sean Payton was then in New Orleans, which didn\u2019t pick until No. 29, but he liked what he saw, too.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou saw a winner,\u201d Payton said this week. \u201cYou saw someone with a live arm and a really good skill set to run. The reason he was taken as high as he was, was not only just the arm talent, but here was a guy that led his team to a lot of wins. That\u2019s part of the job description.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Jets, though, were sold on Wilson and San Francisco unloaded all that capital for Lance, who roared onto the scene in 2019 at FCS North Dakota State but had his 2020 season shortened to one game because of COVID-19.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you\u2019re going to sell out for the guy with traits, which was Trey Lance in their opinion, my argument was, ‘Why wouldn\u2019t you sell out for the guy with better traits?’\u201d Miller said. “(Fields) is bigger. He\u2019s stronger. He\u2019s faster. He\u2019s been more productive.<\/p>\n
\u201cObviously neither one has really worked out, but it\u2019s one of the more confusing evaluations of the past couple of years for me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Indeed, Fields has confounded.<\/p>\n
He started 10 games as a rookie and struggled. Then Chicago overhauled its front office and coaching staff and Fields hasn\u2019t seen any improvement under coordinator Luke Getsy and head coach Matt Eberflus. After completing 60.4% last year, he\u2019s at 58% through three games this season.<\/p>\n
The third-year player, though, is electric in the run game. He finished 2022 with 1,143 rushing yards and eight touchdowns despite also getting sacked 55 times.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith quarterbacks, it\u2019s so interesting because situation and fit matter so much,\u201d Reid said. \u201cWe\u2019ve seen that with Trey Lance already with him on his second team. Zach Wilson, things just haven\u2019t worked out with him. Then with Fields, the situation, it\u2019s just not \u2013 there\u2019s a lot of things that are happening around him right now that maybe don\u2019t necessarily fit him.”<\/p>\n
Coincidentally, in early 2021 it was the Bears who were thought to be trying to trade for Russell Wilson. In February that year, Wilson\u2019s agent, Mark Rodgers, told ESPN\u2019s Adam Schefter that Wilson wanted to stay in Seattle, but if the club was going to trade him he\u2019d only greenlight deals to New Orleans, Dallas, Las Vegas or Chicago. By May, a week after Chicago selected Fields, the Chicago Tribune suggested the Bears may have offered upward of three first-round selections for Wilson before turning their attention to the draft.<\/p>\n
Denver was active on the quarterback front, too.<\/p>\n
The Broncos traded for Teddy Bridgewater the day before the draft started. Then, as the proceedings got going, ESPN reported that Aaron Rodgers was unhappy in Green Bay and may want to be traded.<\/p>\n
So what was Denver going to do? Trade for Rodgers? Draft Fields or Jones? No move materialized, of course, despite the rampant speculation. Eleven months later, Paton unloaded two first rounders, two second rounders and three players to acquire Wilson.<\/p>\n
Instead of a surefire signal-caller, though, the Broncos got a 5-12 mark in 20222, the worst year of Wilson\u2019s career and fired coach Nathaniel Hackett after 15 games. Then they traded yet another first round pick \u2013 swapped a second for a third \u2013 for the right to hire Payton.<\/p>\n
The symmetry is unmistakable.<\/p>\n
The Bears tried to trade for Wilson before ultimately drafting a quarterback in 2021. The Broncos considered drafting a quarterback in 2021 before ultimately trading for Wilson.<\/p>\n
Now they meet up in the early goings of 2023 looking like a pair of teams who, instead of ascending after course-defining moves, will likely once again be drafting near the top of the 2024 draft.<\/p>\n
Wilson has improved his play in the early goings this fall, but he\u2019s not returned to the elite level of play that defined his decade-long tenure in Seattle. He turns 35 in November and the five-year extension he signed a year ago doesn\u2019t even kick in until 2024. In the meantime, all of those picks jettisoned in the process of acquiring him and Payton have cost Denver in roster depth and talent.<\/p>\n
As good as Surtain is, he\u2019s the only first-rounder Paton has actually picked in Denver. Surtain and 2021 second-rounder Javonte Williams are the only top-60 selections Paton\u2019s made in three drafts.<\/p>\n
Perhaps the Broncos will win the next two weeks against teams that picked quarterbacks in 2021 \u2013 Chicago and then the Jets in Week 5 —\u00a0and feel like they\u2019re edging back toward contention.<\/p>\n
If not, the list of decisions to make gets long quickly. Some, like making a handful of veterans available at the trade deadline, could add a pick to Denver’s quiver here and there. Wilson and Surtain each represent potential offseason decisions that come with real consequence.<\/p>\n
Surtain\u2019s eligible for an extension after this year and will reset the cornerback market, meaning he could be looking at a deal anywhere from $22 million to $25 million per year.<\/p>\n
He is also by far the most valuable asset Denver could trade and get something significant in return.<\/p>\n
\u201cTwo first round picks is probably a start?\u201d Miller suggested of a Surtain asking price. \u201cBut he\u2019s the type of player I\u2019d want to build around. I think any time you have a guy at one of the four or five positions who looks like a perennial All-Pro when he\u2019s in his third year, personally I think it\u2019d be horrible to trade him away.\u201d<\/p>\n
As fate would have it, 2024 is shaping up to be a quarterback class ballyhooed like the 2021 group. USC\u2019s Caleb Williams is the intractable frontrunner like Lawrence was. North Carolina\u2019s Drake Maye, Notre Dame\u2019s Sam Hartman and Texas\u2019 Quinn Ewers also project to go early and others, like Colorado\u2019s Shedeur Sanders, Washington\u2019s Michael Penix, Jr., Oregon\u2019s Bo Nix and Michigan\u2019s J.J. McCarthy, could move up boards.<\/p>\n
Will it play out like 2021, where the Broncos stand pat at quarterback and address other issues while the Bears \u2013 who have their own first-round pick plus Carolina\u2019s \u2013 take another swing at signal-caller? Will they flip roles?<\/p>\n
Only time will tell, but one thing is certain: Neither wanted to be in this position in the first place.<\/p>\n
Want more Broncos news? Sign up for the Broncos Insider to get all our NFL analysis.<\/em><\/p>\n * Denotes trade<\/p>\n 40,000 drivers caught on camera cutting illegally in and out of Colorado highway express lanes<\/li>\n Construction starts on $125M, 81-acre technology park in Broomfield<\/li>\n Parent sues Denver school board member Auon\u2019tai Anderson in test of Colorado\u2019s new social media law<\/li>\n Discovery of Suzanne Morphew's body raises new legal questions in 3-year-old case<\/li>\n Suzanne Morphew's remains found in Saguache County<\/li>\n Lauren Boebert escorted out of "Beetlejuice" musical in Denver after "causing a disturbance"<\/li>\n Popular Chicago restaurant Portillo's eyeing a Colorado expansion<\/li>\n Kiszla: Jamal Murray, strawberry Starburst and why the Nuggets don't care if the Bucks traded for Damian Lillard<\/li>\n Gov. Jared Polis orders plan to keep Colorado's national parks open in a federal shutdown<\/li>\n Driver accused of hitting two parole officers in Colorado Springs is captured<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n2021 NFL Draft<\/h3>\n
\n\n
\n Pick<\/strong><\/th>\n Team<\/strong><\/th>\n Player<\/strong><\/th>\n Pos.<\/strong><\/th>\n Comment<\/strong><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n \n 1<\/td>\n Jacksonville<\/td>\n Trevor Lawrence<\/td>\n QB<\/td>\n Made Pro Bowl and won playoff game in 2022.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 2<\/td>\n N.Y. Jets<\/td>\n Zach Wilson<\/td>\n QB<\/td>\n Benched in ’22; now starting after Aaron Rodgers injury<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 3<\/td>\n San Francisco*<\/td>\n Trey Lance<\/td>\n QB<\/td>\n Injured most of ’22; traded prior to ’23 for 4th round pick.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 4<\/td>\n Atlanta<\/td>\n Kyle Pitts<\/td>\n TE<\/td>\n Selected to ’21 Pro Bowl; 105 catches, 1,482 yards in 30 games.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 5<\/td>\n Cincinnati<\/td>\n Ja’Marr Chase<\/td>\n WR<\/td>\n Offensive Rookie of Year in ’21; two-time Pro Bowl selection.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 6<\/td>\n Miami<\/td>\n Jaylen Waddle<\/td>\n WR<\/td>\n Yards per catch (18.1) leader in ’22 with 1,356 receiving yards.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 7<\/td>\n Detroit<\/td>\n Penei Sewell<\/td>\n OT<\/td>\n Selected to ’22 Pro Bowl as anchor of Lions offensive line.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 8<\/td>\n Carolina<\/td>\n Jaycee Horn<\/td>\n CB<\/td>\n Missed 18 games over first two NFL seasons.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 9<\/strong><\/td>\n Denver<\/strong><\/td>\n Pat Surtain II<\/strong><\/td>\n CB<\/strong><\/td>\n Named All-Pro and Pro Bowl CB in second season.<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 10<\/td>\n Philadelphia<\/td>\n DeVonta Smith<\/td>\n WR<\/td>\n Heisman Trophy winner had 1,196 receiving yards in ’22.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 11<\/td>\n Chicago*<\/td>\n Justin Fields<\/td>\n QB<\/td>\n Has 5-23 record over 28 starts and 78.1 QB rating.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 12<\/td>\n Dallas*<\/td>\n Micah Parsons<\/td>\n OLB<\/td>\n Defensive Rookie of Year and two-time All-Pro.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n Share this:<\/h3>\n
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