The Denver Broncos finally got serious about fixing the wide receiver room, sending draft picks to the Miami Dolphins for Jaylen Waddle. At long last, this front office makes a major move to boost the offense, and it comes four years after the Broncos tried this at quarterback with Russell Wilson.
Now that Waddle will soon be in the picture, the Broncos may boast one of the top receiver rooms in the NFL. Waddle joins Courtland Sutton, Marvin Mims Jr, Pat Bryant, and Troy Franklin as the receivers of note in Denver. For Bo Nix, he now has a ton of weaponry and the ability to really take a huge leap in year three.
However, Waddle is a big-time player and is making big-time money. He's also set to turn just 28 years old in November, so this is someone who could be a part of the equation for the next 3-5 years. Could this spell trouble for some of the younger Broncos receivers now?
Could the Denver Broncos look to trade one of their younger wide receivers now?
The Broncos may not have any desire to move any of their young wide receivers at the moment, but that could always change:
Wouldn’t expect #Broncos to shop Troy Franklin/Marvin Mims even with the Waddle addition. Brass has said publicly they love the group, feels that way privately, too.
— Luca Evans (@bylucaevans) March 17, 2026
Depth at WR was clear issue in loss to NE. No real sense slashing that again when there aren’t many other holes
Denver did have to give up a good bit of NFL Draft capital to facilitate this deal, so they could look to recoup some of that. Fortunately, Denver has an extra draft pick thanks to the Devaughn Vele trade, and they are likely to receive a compensatory draft pick for John Franklin-Myers departing in free agency.
But make no mistake about it - the Broncos not only pulled this trade off to maximize this all-in window, but they also did it because the wide receivers as a current group just are not good enough, period. That was an obvious theme during the 2025 season.
The Broncos had some of the most drops in the NFL and just did not have a legitimate top option. It would be a shock if the front office started working the phones to offload one of the younger receivers, but the team would absolutely pick up the phone if a receiver-needy team did come calling.
George Paton, the Broncos General Manager, has said on many occasions that they are 'in on everything.' That would have to mean, surely, that if a team offered a strong package for Franklin or Mims, for example, they would have to consider it.
The Broncos are going to go forward with their current room as it stands right now, unless another addition is coming. However, there is always a chance that the team could move one of their younger players if the right offer comes up. Waddle is a big-time, legitimate option and could make someone else in the room expendable.