Ranking Denver Broncos last 10 biggest trades worst to best

7. Trading out of the 96th pick in 2022

Broncos receive:

• 2022 5th-round pick (179th overall)
• 2023 3rd-round pick (67th overall)

Colts receive:

• 2022 3rd-round pick (96th overall)

The Broncos realized they had a bit of a lack of NFL Draft capital in 2023 going into the 2022 NFL Draft, and George Paton made something happen. He turned one draft pick into two picks when the Indianapolis Colts came calling for the 96th pick in the 2022 Draft. The Colts wanted Maryland safety Nick Cross, and the Broncos were happy to take their chances that the Colts' pick in 2023 would be much better than the 96th overall slot they were giving up in the deal.

When you think about this trade on paper, you've got to really love a player to lose this kind of value. The only scenario in which the Broncos would have gotten even slightly poor value is if the Colts had won the Super Bowl last year. Not only did they not win it, but they didn't even come close. They ended up sending the Broncos the 67th pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, which was used on linebacker Drew Sanders.

This trade allowed the Broncos to move up nearly 30 spots in round three, they just had to wait a year to make the picks.

They also traded that 5th-round pick, which ended up being used on Kingsley Enagbare (Packers).

But this trade was another outstanding value for George Paton, turning the 96th pick into the 67th pick (a year later) and the 179th pick. The unofficial trade value chart puts the value of picks 67 and 179 at 275 points, the equivalent of the 63rd overall pick in the draft. The difference between the value of those two picks and the 96th pick is roughly the value of the 85th or 86th pick, so the Broncos got amazing value here.