The worst-kept secret in football heading into the 2026 season is that the Denver Broncos require an upgrade at wide receiver. Not that any of their current wide receivers need to be cut or traded, but that everyone is simply one spot too high on their depth chart. And to the Broncos' benefit, they have draft capital and cap space to make this happen.
There are going to be several big-name wide receivers thrown into conversations this spring, whether it be free agents, names known to be on the trade market, or more speculative names who might become available. One of the easiest ways to figure out who these names are going to be would be to look at how their team has operated in recent years. One team has shown a serious willingness to move big-name players for draft compensation.
The New York Jets were the biggest winners of the trade deadline, trading two key defensive pieces for several first-rounders, and neither of their trading partners ended up making the playoffs. This spring, there's a chance they could do the same with Garrett Wilson. If he becomes available, the Broncos could have the perfect scenario to pounce on the opportunity.
This is a hidden advantage for the Denver Broncos to try and land Garrett Wilson
George Paton has built quite the front office in Denver since his arrival, but his top lieutenant now runs the Jets' front office. As previously stated, Darren Mougey, New York's General Manager, has had no issues with moving on from key pieces of their core to bring in draft capital. He moved Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams for an incredibly strong return, and already looks like a genius for it. More simply, this idea has worked, so there is no reason to believe he isn't open to doing it again.
The relationship between Paton and Mougey could be a great help for the Broncos, and it could be an inroad to landing Wilson. The Broncos have only traded first-round selections twice since Paton arrived in Denver: for Russell Wilson and for Sean Payton. Considering the gravity of these two moves, you could easily argue that Paton himself initiated neither of these deals, and both were calls from overhead.
Wilson would immediately be the top receiver on the Broncos roster and could push for the top of the league leaderboard in key areas with Bo Nix as his quarterback. This would also slot Courtland Sutton down to a second wide receiver, which he would probably be the best in the league at. Adding Wilson to the fold would help push the Broncos over the top, and an old relationship could get it done.