The Denver Broncos made it all the way to the AFC Championship Game in 2025, and likely would have appeared in the Super Bowl against the Seattle Seahawks had Bo Nix been healthy. If nothing else, the Broncos proved a ton of people wrong, once again, and they did get to the title game, so there's really no reason why they can't get back there in 2026.
With the roster improved on offense, the team could have found the missing piece in Jaylen Waddle, but there are still some holes that need to be filled. Adding another tight end, running back, inside linebacker, and perhaps defensive end would really put a bow on what could be one of the best rosters in team history.
There is a ton of time between now and the start of the regular season for some major moves to go down, and the Broncos did find themselves right in the middle of a hypothetical trade with a newfound AFC rival.
Bleacher Report suggest Bills trade for Denver Broncos DT DJ Jones
In an article outlining one trade each contender should make, Moe Moton identified DJ Jones to the Buffalo Bills as a move they should make:
"In 2025, the Buffalo Bills allowed the fifth-most rushing yards, third-most yards per carry and the second-most rushing touchdowns. They need to beef up their defensive front on early downs.
Thus far, the Bills have made few notable moves to bolster their interior defensive line, which could be a problem if they rely solely on inexperienced starters and rookies.
New Bills head coach Joe Brady hired defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard, who was the defensive pass game coordinator on the Denver Broncos' staff under Sean Payton over the last two years. He may be able to convince the Bills that D.J. Jones is worth acquiring to strengthen the run defense.
Although Jones only played 40 percent of the defensive snaps during the previous term, he logged 39 tackles (four for loss) and three sacks, missing just three tackles all year.
In Buffalo, Jones could play in an expanded role as the leader of a young interior group that shows a little more resistance against ground attacks."
This is a really interesting trade. Jones is set to enter his fifth season with the Broncos and did just sign a new deal last year. In 2025, Jones racked up a career-high three sacks. He also added four tackles for loss and six quarterback hits.
Jones has played in just 40 percent of the snaps in each of the last two seasons for the Broncos, and this comes after playing over 50 percent of the snaps in his first two seasons with the team. Overall, Jones is an aging player, but he's still got value in the middle of the defensive line.
He is one of the stronger run stoppers in the NFL, but he doesn't offer much else. The Broncos, in theory, could look for a future replacement for Jones in the NFL Draft, but Malcolm Roach could be someone ready and capable of doing that.
Trading Jones to the Bills would be an odd move, though, as the Broncos and Bills are kind of new 'rivals' in a way, as they went back-and-forth in what turned out to be a legendary Divisional Round game. The Bills hired Jim Leonhard as their new defensive coordinator, so there are some Broncos connections present for Buffalo.
Overall, you don't get the sense that the Broncos would do this unless they got a strong offer. John Franklin-Myers departed in free agency, so subtracting Jones from the defensive line would really make that unit uncertain.
Buffalo does need to shore up their run defense, but the hope is that Denver doesn't help them do that.