Bo Nix and the Denver Broncos came just short of bringing home the Lamar Hunt trophy last year, and the reasons why felt obvious. The Broncos' defense allowed just 10 points in the AFC Championship Game, with 7 of them coming on an incredibly short field possession off a turnover. Denver's inability to have an explosive offense was an issue all season, and it hit a breaking point in their playoff loss to the Patriots.
The Broncos needed to add to their offense the second that free agency started, but did not make much noise at all over the first week or so. The Broncos retained a few role players and starting running back JK Dobbins within the first week, and fans began to worry that all of the Broncos' work would be minimal and not difference-making. It took until the middle of March for general manager George Paton to make a splash, and it might be the biggest splash in the entire conference.
In adding Waddle, the Broncos now have one of the best wide receiver duos in the game with him and Courtland Sutton. Pairing this duo with the returning Dobbins and Nix in his third year, the Broncos might be able to possess one of the best offenses in all of football, and Waddle might be the key to unlocking their 2026 success.
The Denver Broncos could be the top team in the AFC after adding Jaylen Waddle
NFL Spin Zone ranked the top teams in the AFC based on their most notable additions to their roster and awarded the Broncos the top spot on their list after adding Waddle. On the addition of Waddle, the rankings stated that:
No team in the AFC, maybe not even the NFL, made as impactful a move as the Denver Broncos trading for wide receiver Jaylen Waddle. And yes, this was a costly one.
The Broncos gave up 1st- and 3rd-round picks in the 2026 NFL Draft to get Waddle, one of the best receivers in the NFL when it comes to creating separation and making plays at all levels of the field. The Broncos have been among the league leaders in dropped passes over the last three seasons, and they decided to go out and do something about raising the level of play around Bo Nix.
For a team that made it to the AFC Championship (and hosted it) this past season, the Broncos showed they are all-in on this current group by trading for Waddle. He adds an extremely dynamic and important element to the offense that simply hasn't been there in the Bo Nix era.
- NFL Spin Zone
It felt all year in 2025 as if the Broncos were missing a major piece to their offense, and they seem to have finally found one. The Broncos tried to make Troy Franklin their deep threat last year, and for as solid a season as he had, he was not a truly elite threat on the outside. It felt all season as if the lack of an elite outside threat was holding the Broncos back from becoming a truly elite team.
If the Broncos offense is going to hold up its end of the deal and help lift the Broncos to another AFC title game, and hopefully a trip to the Super Bowl, Waddle will be at the core of their season. There is no reason for the Broncos to come up short again this year, and as these rankings point out, arguably no move made in the AFC this spring will be as impactful as the Broncos adding Waddle. He can quickly become a Broncos legend and help Nix paint another incredible season.
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