The San Francisco 49ers are expected to be buyers before the trade deadline at the end of the month, especially after general manager John Lynch hinted at potentially making a “splash” move before October 31st.

“We’re certainly not afraid to make a splash if needed and if we think it can improve us,” Lynch shared on KNBR's Murph and Mac Show. “That’s not just a stock answer. I think there’s still Halloween where the trade deadline is, right after our Cincinnati game. So that’s a long time in terms of these things, and we’ll continue to monitor, continue to communicate, and if we can make a difference on this team, we will,” (h/t Angelina Martin of NBC Sports Bay Area).

Roughly around this time last year, the 49ers made a big trade with the Carolina Panthers for Christian McCaffery, who has been the best running back in the league since that happened.

Who should the 49ers target in a trade deadline deal this season? There's one option that stands out above the rest.

The 49ers should trade for Broncos CB Pat Surtain II

The 49ers don't have many weaknesses to address. They have two dominant receivers in Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk, one of the league's best tight ends in George Kittle, McCaffery at running back, and the solid play of Brock Purdy at QB. Trent Williams and the offensive line have held up just fine.

The defensive interior has been one of the league's best, and Nick Bosa brings the heat off the edge. Fred Warner is the league's best linebacker, and the 49ers have safeties who can cover and play up in the box against the run.

The only real area of weakness for the 49ers, which was exposed against the Minnesota Vikings in a second straight loss for San Francisco, is the need for another shutdown corner. Charvarius Ward has played great over the last two seasons, and is currently ranked as PFF's No. 17 overall corner out of 115 eligible players. He's not the issue. Teams are mostly having success picking on Deommodore Lenoire (51st) and Isaiah Oliver (60th), as they represent the only real exploitable spots on this pass defense.

The 49ers are third in the league in points allowed and rank 6th in defensive DVOA, so it's not like the 49ers have to make a move. There's enough talent here to win a Super Bowl without a splash trade. But anytime you can snatch a talented young player from a team heading towards a rebuild, it's wise to pull the trigger. Patrick Surtain was an All-Pro in just his second season, and he's the kind of shutdown corner who would fit perfectly next to Ward.

Broncos, Patrick Surtain II

Surtain's impact on San Francisco's defense would be immense, as it would lead to more coverage sacks and help the 49ers deal with teams like the Philadelphia Eagles, who have more than one elite wideout. The Eagles went out and improved their secondary by trading for Kevin Byard, and the 49ers should treat this as an invitation to an arms race for control of the NFC.

With no other real pressing needs, acquiring a star cornerback like Surtain who can play in San Francisco for years to come — thanks to Brock Purdy making no money (yet) — makes perfect sense for the 49ers. The title window and the window to trade picks in order to acquire major talent via trade is right now for the 49ers.