The Denver Broncos‘ defense is shaping up to potentially be one of the most dangerous in the AFC.
From the front seven to the linebackers and the secondary, the roster has blue-chip stars, strong role players and good squad depth. But that does not mean that the team would turn down the opportunity to trade for one of the best players in the NFL.
The Broncos have more desirous players on the defense than offense, but it could be that the next move they make reinforces what is already a great strength -specifically, at pass rusher.
Denver ranked first in the league sacks last season, scoring a massive 63 on opposition quarterbacks. This was nine more than second place, the Baltimore Ravens, who obtained 54.
Yet, in this trade proposal, the Broncos give up one of their top young edge rushers, Nik Bonitto, in exchange for one of the most coveted players on the market right now, Micah Parsons, after he submitted a trade request last Friday.
Why An Edge Rusher Swap Makes Sense For Both Teams
Bonitto sacked the quarterback 13.5 in 2024, 1.5 times more than Parsons. But the latter is widely recognized as one of the most destructive forces in all of football, having managed over 52 sacks over the course of his first four seasons in the pros.
Both the Broncos and Cowboys’ stars are out of contract at the end of the season and looking for major paydays ASAP – and in Parsons case, rather publicly so.
The former Oklahoma standout had a breakout season in 2024 after a promising sophomore year in 2023, where only Myles Garrett and Trey Hendrickson racked up more sacks, helping Bonitto obtain second-team All-Pro honors.
The two players were born just a few months apart, and are both entering their age-26 season in the NFL. The Cowboys could return a rising talent who would call for substantially less money than Parsons, whilst the Broncos part with a player already in his contract year in order to pay a borderline generational talent at the position.
What Would A Bonitto-Parsons Trade Swap Look Like?
There are multiple factors that go into this equation. Although Bonitto is far less famous and well known that Parsons; particularly to the average fan; the distance between the two is not so unbelievably great.
And considering the Penn State grad will almost certainly look to get paid a lot more than Bonitto – likely by over $10 million/year – Denver could get away with not trading the house – in terms of draft picks – for the Cowboys’ star talent.
In the aftermath of the deal – were this to actually materialize – it is not impossible that many would argue the Cowboys are getting the better end of the bargain.
The biggest concern would be consistency in high level production: Parsons has shown the ability to produce at a top 5-7 edge rusher level for four straight years, whereas Bonitto has yet to replicate his best season – although there is a reasonable chance that his play continues to ascend.
Bonitto is the gamble, hence why the Cowboys get draft picks in addition acquiring the Bronco. But do not be surprised if in the future – likely still with Denver – Bonitto becomes a member of that elite group of edge rushers.
Denver Broncos receive: Micah Parsons
Dallas Cowboys receive: 2026 fourth round pick, 2027 second round pick
