The Denver Broncos made one of the top blockbuster trades of the 2026 offseason by trading for Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle. The trade to acquire Waddle sent a clear message to the rest of the NFL, but certainly other teams in the AFC West: The Broncos aren't going anywhere.
For the first time in a decade, the Kansas City Chiefs are playing catch-up to the Broncos, as opposed to the other way around. And their strategy in the 1st round of the 2026 NFL Draft indicates a rather juicy reality for everyone in Broncos Country: They know it.
The Chiefs used their top pick in the 2026 NFL Draft on LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane, but they didn't stick at the 9th overall pick -- they moved up (and paid the price) to get him.
Chiefs make desperation move to keep pace with Denver Broncos after Jaylen Waddle trade
Trade terms:#Chiefs get pick 6. #Browns get 9, 74, 141.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) April 24, 2026
The Chiefs only moved up three spots to get Mansoor Delane, but they had to pay up the 74th overall pick to make it happen. And 141 on top of that.
That's a hefty price to pay for a team that has so many needs entering this draft. But to give the Chiefs a little bit of credit, they did address arguably the biggest need on their roster, at least on the defensive side of the ball.
They traded star cornerback Trent McDuffie earlier this offseason to the Los Angeles Rams, and because of that trade, Mansoor Delane won't be the only player they get on the first night of the 2026 NFL Draft. And he's an important piece for them. He's even more important because of the Broncos' addition of Jaylen Waddle.
For the first time in the Sean Payton era, the Broncos have a truly elite separator as a route runner, and someone who can create offense all on his own. The Chiefs have struggled against the Broncos since Sean Payton came aboard, but they have always played them tough defensively.
The reality is, the Broncos needed Waddle to continue to have an edge on the Chiefs going forward, and after they picked up Waddle, the Chiefs knew they needed to start loading up in the secondary to keep pace. And that's exactly what they've done here.
And they certainly aren't going to be done there.
The Chiefs not only lost Trent McDuffie this offseason, but they also lost Jaylen Watson and Bryan Cook in the secondary. That was after losing Justin Reid last offseason. That entire secondary is going to be revamped, and they felt Delane was a necessary enough cornerstone piece to sacrifice some really valuable capital to get him.
And you can't help but love that the Broncos helped ramp up that urgency.