One of the worst kept secrets in football is that the Denver Broncos need playmakers. Their wide receiver play was sporadic last season, outside of the guiding and calming presence of Courtland Sutton. Sutton cemented himself as a legitimate number one option in the league, but over-reliance on the SMU product got the Broncos into a pickle a time or two.
It was clear as day, even as Marvin Mims Jr. emerged late in the year, that Denver needs a true starting outside receiver who can line up on the opposite side of Sutton.
3 big-name WRs the Broncos could look into adding in 2025
Garrett Wilson, New York Jets
Reports late in the year suggested that Wilson might have been playing his final games in New Jersey, and the Broncos would make a ton of sense here. For one, Wilson is a dominant outside target that has great ability to beat defenders and go get the ball. Wilson turns 25 this summer and would be a prime candidate to be extended almost the second any trade is finalized with Denver.
A bold move for Wilson would make a lot of sense if the Broncos don't feel comfortable with their ability to get a playmaking receiver in the draft. Wilson could make things much more interesting on the offensive front for the Broncos and would give them a viable WR1 from now on, but it would be very costly. Is former Broncos Assistant GM (and current Jets GM) Darren Mougey willing to play ball?
Deboo Samuel, San Francisco 49ers
Stop me if you have heard this before, but Deboo Samuel might be on his way out of San Francisco. The 49er standout was once one of the best receivers in the game, but injuries have slowed his career down, and now his time with Brock Purdy and George Kittle seems to be coming to an end. Samuel still has explosive skills and has big play capabilities, and he could be a valuable piece to a Sean Payton offense that figures to value explosiveness and playmaking abilities.
The major caveat here is that if the 49ers are unable to find a Samuel trade partner, he would very likely be cut, so the Broncos might choose to wait and view him as a backup plan as opposed to moving draft picks before April's draft weekend.
Stefon Diggs, Buffalo Bills (Free Agent)
Stefon Diggs will be the biggest wide receiver name on the open market, but that isn't exactly because he is still an elite wideout. The group of free agents has depth to it, but Tee Higgins coming off the board before ever really hitting it complicates the class. Chris Godwin and Diggs are the biggest names, but both are coming off significant leg injuries and are older than you would like for a major free agent signing at receiver.
If there is anything left in the tank, Diggs could provide exactly what Denver needs as a number two option to Sutton. He posted 496 yards with three scores in eight games last year before blowing out his knee, which put him at a pace to surpass the 1,000-yard mark for a 7th straight season. What type of contract Diggs commands will ultimately be what drives his free agency, but the veteran receiver could be in Sean Payton's vision this spring.