The Denver Broncos shook the NFL world on Tuesday, landing Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle in a blockbuster deal that immediately reshapes the team’s 2026 draft strategy.
Head coach Sean Payton and GM George Paton were reportedly close to acquiring Waddle at last year’s trade deadline, but now the explosive playmaker will officially wear orange and blue. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, trade talks between the two teams “ramped up” over the last 10 days as free agency opened.
The Trade Details
Denver sent a significant package to Miami to secure one of the league’s most dynamic receivers:
Broncos receive:
Jaylen Waddle
4th-round pick (No. 111 overall)
**Dolphins receive:**1st-round pick (No. 30 overall)
3rd-round pick (No. 94 overall)
4th-round pick (No. 130 overall)
The deal, pending a physical expected to be a formality, drops Denver from nine draft selections to seven and eliminates their first-round pick barring another trade. Meaning their first pick of this year’s event is all the way down at No. 62.
Denver’s Updated 2026 Draft Order
Round Pick Notes
2 62nd overall First selection
4 108th overall Via Saints (Devaughn Vele trade)
4 111th overall Via Dolphins (Waddle trade)
5 170th overall Original
7 246th overall Original
7 256th overall Javonte Williams comp pick
7 257th overall Riley Dixon comp pick
The team previously lost its original sixth-round pick when Denver acquired defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers from the New York Jets in 2024. After letting JFM walk in free agency this year, the Broncos are expected to receive a fourth-round compensatory pick for the 2027 draft.
For tossing out the draft, the Broncos get a lot in Waddle, spending five years with Miami, accumulating 373 catches for more than 5,000 yards and 26 touchdowns. In 2025, he posted 64 receptions for 910 yards and six scores.
The acquisition gives Bo Nix a proven playmaker and immediately addresses left tackle Garett Bolles’ January comment that the team needed “a couple more playmakers.”
With a pair of fourth-round selections, the Broncos have flexibility to trade up if they identify a target on Day 2 or 3 of the draft. The question now shifts to how Payton and Paton will attack the remaining picks — with tight end emerging as a potential area of focus.