Sean Payton acknowledged after the Denver Broncos' loss to the Patriots in the AFC Championship Game that dropped passes had been an issue for the team all year. He's got to do something about it, and enough is enough with the "almost" moves by the Broncos.
The NFL Draft won't cut it. Budget free agents won't cut it. The Broncos have to go big-game hunting at the wide receiver position to address what has become the most glaring issue for the offense, other than the lack of a running game. But as well as JK Dobbins ran the ball when healthy, it's clear that personnel at receiver is much more of an issue for the Broncos.
The expectation should be for the team to be aggressive in getting help there this offseason, but who? We're going to take a look at a handful of trade options for the Broncos to look into.
Broncos need to make a big splash at the wide receiver position in 2026
1. Marvin Harrison Jr., Arizona Cardinals
The idea of the Broncos acquiring Marvin Harrison Jr. from the Cardinals is an exciting possibility. This is one of the riskiest potential trades they could make, but a calculated risk. Harrison was considered a can't-miss prospect coming out of Ohio State, but his first two seasons in the NFL have been a bit of a struggle.
He has 12 touchdown catches, but the expectation that he would simply step onto an NFL field and immediately be a star player has not exactly come to fruition. The Cardinals haven't had consistency at the quarterback position, either, but the fact of the matter is, they could be looking to reset this offseason. If they are open to the idea of trading Harrison, the Broncos could make a compelling offer.
And the idea here is that Harrison, who is still in the midst of his rookie deal, would give the Broncos a top target for Bo Nix who has yet to realize his full potential, but could get there with Bo Nix throwing him passes. There may be more proven options available, but the upside could be the highest with Harrison.
2. Jaylen Waddle, Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins have a new general manager as well as a new head coach with Jon-Eric Sullivan and Jeff Hafley coming in from the Green Bay Packers' organization. And anytime there is a new GM and head coach pairing in an NFL city, you have to look at the possibility that there could be a roster fire sale.
The Dolphins have a fascinating decision to make with Waddle, who has one of the most attractive contracts to potentially trade for this offseason of any established skill player. A little more than $15.2 million of Waddle's contract for 2027 guarantees on the 5th day of the 2026 league year, so around the back half of March.
The Dolphins need to decide rather quickly if they are going to guarantee Waddle that much money for next year already when he's going to be a very attractive trade piece at the age of 28. With their current situation, keeping him doesn't seem like the best option. And for the 2026 season, he has a base salary of just $1.215 million. It's going to be fascinating to see how the Dolphins proceed with this one, and the Broncos should absolutely have interest if he's available.
3. Brandon Aiyuk, San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers have already stated publicly that Brandon Aiyuk isn't going to be back with the team in 2026. If only because he's one of the best players we know is certainly going to be available, the Broncos have to at least consider this possibility.
There are a lot more negatives with Aiyuk now than there would have been if he were available in 2024, including drama with the 49ers off the field (contractually), and the obvious risk of making an injury risk your primary addition at a position of need. The Broncos took risks like that in 2025, so it'll be interesting to see if they're willing to do it again.
But this team has been a fan of former 49ers throughout George Paton's tenure as GM, and that might be putting it lightly. Aiyuk is not going to be everyone's favorite offseason fit, but you might be able to get him extremely cheap, and it could help him to have so many former teammates in Denver.
4. Tee Higgins, Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals bought themselves more time to make a long-term decision with Tee Higgins in 2025 while also trying to run it back with the core that helped them get to the Super Bowl a couple of years ago. However, they also structured his contract in such a way that he could very well be traded in the 2026 offseason.
Higgins has a base salary of $10.9 million this coming season, and the Bengals could save over $15 million in cap space by trading him before June 1.
Higgins could be a great fit for the Denver Broncos, who obviously love big-bodied receivers. He is much more of a ball dominant player than this team currently has, and is only going to be 27 this coming season.
5. AJ Brown, Philadelphia Eagles
It feels like AJ Brown has played his last game as a member of the Philadelphia Eagles. Maybe the Eagles won't just ship him out because he put up such a fuss this year (and before that), but it feels like both sides are ready for a separation here.
And while Brown is the oldest player on this list (turns 29 in June), he's also undoubtedly got a few really good years left, and the Broncos could capitalize on that. The Broncos don't need to consume themselves with winning five years from now, they need to win now. They need to support and surround Bo Nix with talent now.
There would be nothing wrong with the Broncos taking a shorter-term approach with a player like AJ Brown, whose consistency (four straight 1,000-yard seasons) is exactly what this team has been missing at the receiver position.