The Denver Broncos, even before the Jaylen Waddle trade, didn't sport a ton of NFL Draft capital, but much of that was due to the team having picks at the bottom of most rounds thanks to the insane success they had.
And to be fair, draft picks are only just draft picks - even if a team is flush with valuable draft capital, there is simply no guarantee that those front offices will make the right selections. There are teams out there that just have not drafted well for multiple years now, and fortunately, the Broncos share the AFC West division with some of those teams.
Denver traded its first and third-round picks to the Miami Dolphins for Jaylen Waddle, adding an explosive playmaker but further emptying the draft cupboard. However, even without a first-round pick this year, there is still a 'dream' Round 1 scenario for Denver.
Denver Broncos could sit back and watch a dream Round 1 NFL Draft scenario come true
In Bleacher Report, Alex Ballentine identified a dream Round 1 scenario for the Broncos, and it makes a ton of sense:
"Denver Broncos: A run on receivers ahead of the 30th pick justifies their trade for Jaylen Waddle even further. They also watch the Chiefs botch their opportunity to improve with a rare top-10 pick."
Let's unpack this a bit. There are some solid, Round 1-caliber wide receiver prospects. Names like Carnell Tate, Jordyn Tyson, Makai Lemon, Omar Cooper Jr, Denzel Boston, and KC Concepcion are all likely to go in the first round.
And there would surely be a chance that most, if not all could be gone by the time the 30th pick rolls around. Denver clearly believed they needed another wide receiver, but the other thing to note here is that the front office obviously thought that trading for Waddle was a better use of that 30th pick than using it on a rookie receiver prospect.
Given how well this front office has drafted under General Manager George Paton, there is reason to believe they made the right move here. The other thing that Ballentine notes is the chance that the Kansas City Chiefs botch their ninth overall pick.
To be honest, it feels like, as the Chiefs' front office, led by General Manager Brett Veach, has dropped the ball for multiple years now in the NFL Draft. This team was able to squeeze out two Super Bowl titles in 2022 and 2023, but the wheels began to fall off in the Super Bowl back in 2024, and they truly fell off in 2025.
The roster was average, at best, this past season, and it somehow got worse this offseason. There really isn't anything to say that Veach and his front office coworkers know how to use this pick wisely. Kansas City saw a large chunk of their secondary leave, and they overpaid for Kenneth Walker III.
Even with the Chiefs having two first-round picks this year, their recent past makes it rather unlikely that those players will develop into something notable.
Overall, the Broncos are in a very good position for the 2026 NFL Draft despite not having a first-round pick.