The Denver Broncos traded for Jaylen Waddle and a fourth-round pick on March 17th, giving away a late first, third, and fourth-round pick. The team that was quiet during free agency made a splash move via a trade. Denver so desperately needed a game-changer in that wide receiver group.
A lot went right for the Broncos in 2025. One of the few things, however, that was a constant issue was the wide receiver group. In particular, it was the drops.
Denver was second in the league with 42 drops. A main culprit, believe it or not, was Courtland Sutton. He had a solid year with 1,017 yards receiving with seven touchdowns, but he left significant production on the field.
Sutton was among the league leaders in drops with eight. For context, that was a drop every 9.1 receptions as he finished with 74 catches. He was very good at converting third downs and making tough catches, but he wasn’t a wide receiver one.
That sentiment could be shared among the entire Denver wide receiver room. Guys like Troy Franklin and Pat Bryant showed great potential, but the drops were killers. All of these guys contributed to a combined 42 drops, which was only behind the Jacksonville Jaguars.
With the addition of Jaylen Waddle and Sutton moving to the receiver two spot, it allows the former pick from SMU to face against weaker corners. Don’t be surprised if Sutton has his most productive statistical season in 2026.
Let’s get to the man of the week in Denver. Waddle is a special talent at wide receiver, and it feels like many people have forgotten that because of how bad the Miami Dolphins have been these last two years. He, however, was a key reason for Tua Tagovailoa’s initial jump as quarterback.
The 27-year-old was drafted in 2021 by Miami and was instantly a game-changer. In his first year, he had 104 catches for 1,015 yards and six touchdowns. That was before Tyreek Hill was traded to the Dolphins, so he was able to produce in his rookie year as the main focus for defenses. When Hill came over, his game took off.
In 2022, Waddle played all 17 games and had 1,356 yards with eight touchdowns. He recorded eight plays that went for 20+ yards. That was an aspect of Denver’s offense that was missing. Waddle had another good year in 2023, but missed a few games, so his yards dipped.
The production dipped for the former Alabama wideout in 2024 and 2025, and that can be attributed to the quarterback struggles. Even with all the turmoil that happened, especially this last season, Waddle still had 910 yards and six touchdowns.
In addition to the numbers, the former Dolphin brings a unique skillset to the Broncos. Guys like Sutton, Franklin, and Marvin Mims are all serious threats and can take the top off of defenses. None of them, however, is a route specialist who can get Bo Nix an easy read in a crucial situation.
Another thing Waddle brings to the table is yards after catch(YAC). Since 2021, he has ranked 16th in YAC per reception.
That is what a player like Waddle brings to the table. Quickness of the line of scrimmage and can work between the numbers. A weapon that Nix hasn’t had yet, but will help him greatly. It’s exciting to see what he can bring to this offense.
The Broncos were patient with their approach. The move took place well after the rest of the teams made theirs, but it was the right one. With the Kansas City Chiefs getting Kenneth Walker and the Los Angeles Chargers hiring Mike McDaniel, Denver needed to keep up offensively within the division.
Will this move be enough for the Broncos to snag back-to-back AFC West championships for the first time in more than a decade?
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