The Denver Broncos orchestrated one of the most surprising seasons in the NFL last year.
Behind a top-three defense, Denver went 14-3 and claimed the AFC’s No. 1 seed. It was expected that the Broncos’ offense would keep them from Super Bowl LX, but nobody could have foreseen how it happened.
Quarterback Bo Nix fractured his ankle in overtime of Denver’s win over Buffalo in the AFC Divisional, which ruled him out for the AFC Championship Game. Denver lost to New England, 10-7, and a cloud of “what-if” will always loom over Mile High.
But even with a healthy Nix returning, the Broncos knew they needed to improve the offense to avenge their Super Bowl hopes in 2026. Denver traded its 2026 first-, third-, and fourth-round draft picks to the Miami Dolphins in exchange for wide receiver Jaylen Waddle and a 2026 fourth.
The Athletic’s Ted Nguyen loves the trade.
“Waddle is a great complement for Courtland Sutton,” Nguyen wrote. “Sutton is your classic X receiver, specializing in winning sideline routes and winning on go-balls. Waddle is a strong route runner who threatens with speed and can make violent cuts as well as anyone in the league.”
Nguyen even went so far as to liken Sutton and Waddle to Dallas Cowboys’ star WR duo CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens, albeit “a lesser version.”
“The Broncos, led by their elite defense, don’t have to be as explosive as the Cowboys offense, but adding Waddle will give them so many more answers offensively and give Bo Nix a shot at taking another major step in his development,” Nguyen wrote.
Sutton, 30, led the Broncos in receiving last year with his second straight 1,000-yard season, while Waddle posted 910 yards and six touchdowns for Miami.
The Dolphins drafted Waddle out of Alabama at No. 6 overall in 2021. He put up an astounding 104 catches on 140 targets for 1,015 yards and six touchdowns as a rookie. His most productive year by the numbers came in Mike McDaniel’s first year as head coach in 2022. Waddle led the league in yards per catch (18.1) and recorded a career-high 1,356 yards and eight touchdowns.
For reference, Pickens led the Cowboys with 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns on 93 catches last year. Lamb caught 75 passes for 1,077 yards and three touchdowns.
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