It’s been a little more than 24 hours since the Denver Broncos pulled off a blockbuster trade for wide receiver Jaylen Waddle.
And it’s still the talk of the NFL world.
Broncos head coach Sean Payton and GM George Paton parted with a first-round pick and a third-round pick to land the supremely talented playmaker. The two clubs also swapped fourth-round selections in the deal.
Did Denver overpay to land a wideout who’s averaged more than 1,000 yards receiving per season over his first five years in the league? It depends on who you ask.
On one hand, the Broncos needed another explosive weapon on offense for Bo Nix. They’re in a Super Bowl window, so it made sense to go all-in. On the other, these are two valuable draft picks they parted with. Waddle didn’t come cheap.
The day after the trade, the grades are rolling in, including from The Athletic’s Jeff Howe who is giving Denver a good (but not great) mark.
Howe settled on a “B+” for the Broncos and made some compelling points as to why he landed there.
“Credit the Broncos for the aggressive move after a surprise run to the AFC Championship Game. There’s no one comparable to Waddle on the free-agent market, and he’s better positioned to make an impact in 2026 than anyone Denver could have taken at the end of the first round,” Howe writes.
Yes, Denver could’ve upgraded at running back in the free-agent market but chose to re-sign J.K. Dobbins, betting on a healthy season in 2026. They also had a window to go shopping for a new tight end, but instead gave out new contracts to the likes of Adam Trautman, Nate Adkins and Lucas Krull with Evan Engram also back in the mix.
But at wide receiver, Waddle is better than anyone they could’ve signed in free agency. He was a prize to be had via trade and he’s now with the Broncos.
Howe notes that while also pointing out this was a gutsy decision by Payton and Paton.
“There’s risk. It’s a premium price to pay when the Broncos have other needs, particularly in the ground game, though they’ll have Waddle below market value unless (or until) they redo his deal. It’s also curious to see the Broncos punt on the early rush of free agency while getting overly aggressive with this trade,” Howe writes.
Indeed fans were bored by Denver’s offseason until Tuesday, but that all changed with the monster trade. Ultimately, most of Broncos Country seems glad they finally pulled something noteworthy off.
To see the full grades and explanations from Howe, click here.