With the Indianapolis Colts having just fired General Manager Chris Ballard, many across the NFL have wondered if the Colts could become sellers at the NFL Trade Deadline in a few weeks, and for the Denver Broncos, the possibility of capitlizing on the Colts being sellers is too good to pass up.
The Colts could end up trading players that would directly fill some sort of roster need for Denver. The Broncos, notably, are weak at the running back and left guard positions, so that naturally makes you wonder if the Broncos could have some degree of interest in running back Jonathan Taylor, or left guard Quenton Nelson.
Taylor might end up being the more likely player to get moved, and what we've done here is whip up a trio of potential offers the Broncos could make that the Colts surely would not refuse. Before we dive into the offers, it's important to take note of what NFL insider Ian Rapoport recently said about the Taylor situation:
"If Jonathan Taylor is available I would expect many teams to be interested..
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) October 23, 2026
I would expect the price to be high" ~ @RapSheet #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/3IqbtDiu9x
Rapoport did note that the Colts' goal here would be to somehow get a first-round pick back in this deal, as they don't have one in 2027 due to the Sauce Gardner trade, but Rapoport also added that the Colts could "give a little something back" to a team to increase their chances at getting a first-round pick.
Right now, it doesn't appear likely, based on what Rapoport recently said, that Taylor himself is worth a first-round pick, so if the Colts did want to somehow get a 1 back, they'd probably have to sweeten the deal a bit. Below, we've tried to come up with realistic trade scenarios the Broncos could offer with these details in mind.
3 Denver Broncos trade packages for RB Jonathan Taylor the Colts could not refuse
Just because the Colts want a first-round pick back, doesn't mean they'll get one. It's very likely that if the Broncos swing a deal for Taylor, J.K. Dobbins is going to Indy in the package, as the Broncos would not trade for Taylor and have a four-man RB room with him, Dobbins, RJ Harvey, and Jonah Coleman. It's hard enough to get three RBs touches in a game, let alone four.
Taylor is also a bell-cow RB in every sense of the word, so, while Dobbins probably doesn't have any sort of trade value himself, the Colts and Broncos, logically, would understand the personnel situation and include Dobbins in a trade package.
A second and fourth-round pick certainly doesn't equal a first-rounder, but Taylor does play a position where the wheels tend to fall off earlier than others, so the Colts might have to 'deal' with lower draft picks.
If the Colts would be willing to send a pick along with Taylor to the Broncos to get a first-rounder back, it could look like this. Denver sends their first-rounder in 2027, but they do get a third-rounder back, which could end up being near the top of the third round. For Indy, getting back into Round 1 would probably make them feel like they 'won' any sort of negotiation, but unless those potential negotiations really heat up between multiple teams, it's almost certain that the Colts would have to include a pick of their own to even-out the deal.
This would be the most competitive offer. It's the same as the previous one, but the Broncos are including an extra draft pick in the deal, trading their first and fourth-round picks in 2027 for Taylor and a third.
It'd be a high price to pay, but the Broncos would finally get a legitimate RB1, which is something Dobbins has not provided this year. Taylor has been one of the best pure runners since being drafted back in 2020, the same year as Dobbins.
Taylor is a three-time Pro Bowler, an All-Pro, and has not missed a game since 2024. He's amassed 8,090 rushing yards since entering the NFL and has aversged 1,528 yards over a 17-game season throughout his career.
He's led the NFL in rushing yards once, attempts, twice, rushing touchdowns tice, and rushing pards per game once. Taylor also has a bit of upside as a pass-catcher, as he's averaged 38 receptions over a 17-game season throughout his career.
If the Broncos want to acquire Taylor and supercharge this RB room, it won't be cheap.
Add us as a preferred source on Google