The Denver Broncos have finally made a move that did not include a current player for the first time this offseason. It wasn’t a free agent but we’ll happily take a trade, especially one as big as this. The acquisition of Jaylen Waddle is one of the biggest moves that the team has made this decade, and it feels like the Broncos aren’t an organization that typically makes splash moves like this (ignoring the last major trade).
This will be different from our regular film reviews. If you know me, then you’d know that not only do I specialize in the offensive line, that’s really the only position I understand (including a little bit of running back, schematically at least). I don’t know much about the wide receiver position, but there’s a bunch of people who do.
I’ll be compiling stats, clips, and general reviews from other people in the online football sphere so we can learn about the newest member of the organization.
One of Waddle’s most productive aspects is his yards-after-catch ability. Before the absolute dismal display of what the Dolphins called a passing offense in 2025, Waddle was averaging 5.65 YAC per REC. And after his worst single-season number of only 3.7 YAC per REC, he still has a career average of 5.3.
For comparison, Courtland Sutton only has a career average of 3.1 and an average of 2.6 since Waddle entered the league. And if you want to compare Waddle to some of his fellow draft class, Jamarr Chase has a YAC per REC rate of 6.0 and Amon-Ra St. Brown sits at 4.9.
And besides this, the Broncos have yet another receiver that can take the top off of a defense.
A comparison between Waddle and a similar receiver:
There has been a reason Waddle usually gets at least 100 targets a season:
Waddle’s efficiency is up near the top of the league:
Off the top of your head, where do you think the Denver passing game struggled the most? I’m sure most of you would say the intermediate part of the field, particularly between the hashes. Just take a look at this:
The above clip is especially huge considering the drop off in offensive production when facing off against a defense that ran zone.
Jaylen Waddle should be an instant ceiling-raiser of what this offense is capable of. Denver now has what it needs to compete against a zone defense instead of just thriving against ones that play man. He’s going to open up the middle of the field, which the Broncos have not been able to utilize in what feels like forever, and he opens up this offense for more explosive plays with his YAC ability.
There is a ton to like about this move. There’s little chance that they’d be able to get someone of this talent with the 30th overall pick, and the 2026 class isn’t that good, especially when compared to 2027’s. Screw them picks.
See More:
* [Denver Broncos Analysis](/denver-broncos-analysis)
* [Denver Broncos Film](/denver-broncos-film-breakdown)