Everybody wants to see the Denver Broncos get aggressive in adding talent to the roster to support quarterback Bo Nix, but what would it actually cost the team to make a trade for a star?
As we've seen the last handful of offseasons, there should be no shortage of options on the trade block for the Broncos to consider, but we've seen the team previously scoff at the cost to acquire talent. There were reports the Broncos checked in on the idea of trading for Jaylen Waddle at last year's trade deadline, but the price was prohibitive.
What if the Broncos are interested in a popular name that's been thrown around among the plethora of offseason speculation, AJ Brown of the Philadelphia Eagles? What would it realistically cost the Broncos to add a player like Brown in a trade? We're going to explore that idea with a few "mock trades" that might entice the Eagles to finally say goodbye to a player whose departure has felt imminent for some time.
AJ Brown mock trades if Broncos decide to pursue the star WR in 2026
To get an idea of the cost to acquire a player like Brown, we need to consider at least one comparable move in recent years that would make sense as a starting point. The low-hanging fruit in terms of the caliber of player we're talking about, the situation, and the age of the player is last year's DK Metcalf trade involving the Seahawks and Steelers.
The Framework: DK Metcalf trade (2025)
Seahawks receive:
- 2nd-round pick (52nd overall)
- 7th-round pick (225th overall)
Steelers receive:
- WR DK Metcalf (age 27)
- 6th-round pick (185th overall)
Given this framework, we can really start to piece together one of a handful of trade ideas that might be appealing to someone like Eagles GM Howie Roseman, who doesn't need to trade Brown despite the receiver's apparent discontent.
Mock trade #1: Follow the Seahawks and Steelers
Broncos receive:
- WR AJ Brown (age 28)
- 2027 6th-round pick
Eagles receive:
- 2nd-round pick (62nd overall)
- 5th-round pick (168th overall)
The Broncos are picking lower in the 2nd round this year than the Steelers were last year, but that 62nd overall pick could still be a valuable dart for the Eagles in a draft class that is thought to be quite deep at receiver. They'd also be getting a 2026 5th-round pick in this scenario while sending the Broncos back a 2027 6th-round pick, mainly because they don't have any picks in rounds 6 or 7 right now in the 2026 NFL Draft.
As far as pick compensation goes, this would be almost identical to the Steelers-Seahawks deal for DK Metcalf.
Mock trade #2: NBA-style
Broncos receive:
- WR AJ Brown
- 4th-round pick (122nd overall)
Eagles receive:
- CB Jahdae Barron
- 3rd-round pick (94th overall)
It's pretty rare that you see an NFL team give up on a draft pick after just one year, but the Denver Broncos could use 2025 1st-round pick Jahdae Barron as a trade chip if they feel like he's not going to supplant either Riley Moss or Kris Abrams-Draine over the long haul.
The Broncos don't have to trade a cornerback this offseason, but if other teams out there still value someone like Barron highly, then he could be used in a deal like this. The Broncos maintain their elite cornerback depth while significantly strengthening their receiver position.
The Eagles address one of their biggest offseason needs in the secondary with a versatile player Vic Fangio would love to have, and they get a third selection in the 3rd round in the process. The pick swap here is an attempt to indicate the value of both Barron (as a 1st-round pick in last year's draft) as well as Brown (likely valued at a minimum of a mid-2nd-round pick.
The difference on the trade value chart between picks 94 and 122 is 74 points, roughly the value of a top-10 pick in the 4th round. So the deal would essentially be the Broncos sending over a player with a 2nd-round value and a pick with a high 4th-round value.
Mock trade #3: Receiver for receiver
Broncos receive:
- WR AJ Brown
- 2027 5th-round pick
Eagles receive:
- WR Courtland Sutton
- 4th-round pick (108th overall)
The Philadelphia Eagles have a number of significant connections to the Denver Broncos right now, which is important to keep in mind. First of all, Matt Russell is an important presence in Howie Roseman's front office, and Russell was once the right-hand man for John Elway in the Broncos' front office.
That connection is crucial, along with the presence of defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, who was Denver's head coach from 2019-2021.
Those connections could result in the Eagles wanting a direct replacement for AJ Brown with a player like Courtland Sutton, who may or may not carry a ton of value in a trade like this. For a team like the Eagles, asking for Sutton back in return for AJ Brown could make a lot of sense. He's the type of team-first receiver you would want to pair up with DeVonta Smith, and a stark contrast in that way to AJ Brown, who is making it well-known that he wants the ball more to help the team.
The Broncos, in this scenario, give up Sutton plus a decent pick to get Brown, but they get a little insurance back as well in the form of a future 5th-round pick.
Although Sutton is older than Brown, he's got a favorable contract and would undoubtedly diminish the value of draft capital in a trade if the Eagles were asking for him back.