The Denver Broncos are 5-2 and atop the AFC West for the first time since Week 4 of the 2016 season. They’ve had plenty of good moments through the first seven games of the season, especially on the defensive side of the football, but there is plenty of room for improvement for a team that is looking to go deeper in the playoffs than just a Wild Card appearance.
The penalties have been an area of concern, along with the consistency from the offense. J.K. Dobbins has been leading a strong attack on the ground, but Bo Nix’s passing game has been inconsistent. Despite having the fourth-most pass attempts in the league so far, Nix has just the 24th-best completion percentage, a number that Broncos fans shouldn’t be too happy about.
Part of the reason why is that the receivers — outside of Courtland Sutton — haven’t exactly been the pinnacle of consistency. Troy Franklin and Marvin Mims Jr. have both had solid moments, while Pat Bryant and Trent Sherfield haven’t gotten many opportunities. Just like the past few years, Sutton is the only trustable guy in Denver’s receiver room on a week-to-week basis. This was a question that was raised by the Devaughn Vele trade back in the preseason, and has now resurfaced as one that might need to be answered before the NFL Trade Deadline.
According to a recent report from CBS Sports’ Senior NFL Insider Jonathan Jones, the Broncos could be the ‘biggest contender’ to go after a wide receiver in the trade market. With possession of all its picks through the fifth round in the 2026 NFL Draft, along with a fourth rounder from the Saints they netted in the Vele trade, George Paton and company have plenty of assets to go out and make a splash move for a proven wideout.
IF THE BRONCOS ARE IN THE MARKET, WHO COULD THEY PURUSE?
Who could the Broncos go after? There’s been a couple names floated around the market recently, including two talented players on the New Orleans Saints. Rashid Shaheed is one of them, but his skillset is too similar to what Mims brings to the table. If Denver really wanted to make a splash, they could see what Chris Olave’s price tag is. It will likely be a steep one, as he’s still one of the league’s most intriguing young receivers, but he is injury prone and has missed some key moments for the Saints over the last few seasons.
He’s got 44 catches for 440 yards and three touchdowns this season.
Jakobi Myers is another name who has been rumored to be in the mix for a trade this season, but since he plays for the Raiders, it’s unlikely that they would send him to Denver in a divisional trade. He has talent, and didn’t get the contract extension he was looking for this offseason, and is now likely to be traded from a Raiders team that is one of the worst in the NFL.
He only has 29 catches for 329 yards this year, but last year, he had 87 receptions for 1,027 yards and four touchdowns.
One more target who could be interesting is Calvin Ridley. Once one of the best receivers in the NFL, he’s had a drop problem as of late and doesn’t have a big role on a struggling Titans offense. His price tag has gone way down, and would be worth a call to see if the Broncos could get him for a pick swap.
He has 26 catches for 290 yards this season, but has posted 1,000-yard campaigns in back-to-back seasons.
The deadline is 11 days away, as Nov. 4 is the last day for teams to make moves before the second half of the season gets underway. A wide receiver trade could benefit the Broncos, but only if the price is right.