The Denver Broncos definitely stepped out of their comfort zone a bit with this major Jaylen Waddle trade. The Broncos have not been a team that has been all that aggressive with trading draft picks after the Russell Wilson debacle, but the front office made the move.
Waddle will soon join an offense that is now, all of a sudden, one of the more talented units in the entire NFL. The offensive line is elite. The running game can be great with a healthy J.K. Dobbins, and the quarterback is on the doorstep of stardom.
But let's focus on the wide receiver room for a minute and breakdown how the depth chart should look with Waddle in the picture.
Denver Broncos wide receiver depth chart following major move for Jaylen Waddle
As of now, the Broncos depth chart at wide receiver will soon look something like this:
Jaylen Waddle
Courtland Sutton
Troy Franklin
Marvin Mims Jr
Pat Bryant
Lil'Jordan Humphrey
Michael Bandy
Let's break this down from top to bottom. Both Waddle and Courtland Sutton are going to be the top two players in the room. Sutton has been the de-facto WR1 of the Broncos for years now, but it's clear that he's best suited as a high-end no. 2 option. Sutton does have back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons, but with Waddle now in the picture, Sutton could take on more of a third/fourth down role and perhaps see more red zone targets.
Waddle easily becomes the go-to weapon.
Troy Franklin, Marvin Mims Jr, and Pat Bryant all bring something a bit different to the mix. We saw Franklin take a huge step forward in year two. His production ticked up across the board. Now entering his third season, Franklin will only be 23 years old this year and is someone who is now going to settle into more of a WR3 role. I would expect his overall efficiency to improve. He'll likely see some third-string matchups with opposing cornerbacks.
Bryant and Mims might be more complementary options, but Mims does bring you All-Pro returning upside and can be someone who the Broncos deploy as an extension of the run game. His role as this gadget-y type player likely remains in 2026.
Bryant is an interesting one - he has good hands and is a sound route-runner. Some have wondered if he's the future 'Sutton' replacement following the 2026 season, and that could be the case. The biggest thing with Bryant is simply being able to stay healthy for a full season.
Lil'Jordan Humphrey and Michael Bandy are forgettable options at this point, to be honest. Humphrey does have some blocking upside, which is valuable, but his role now might be done with another receiver in the picture. Bandy is someone who could hang around on the practice squad, but he may not be elevated in 2026 unless some injuries happen.