With the Denver Broncos' 2026 free agency being relatively quiet compared to other teams in the NFL, Tuesday morning changed the narrative. As fans wondered what the next move would be for the Broncos, it has come in the form of a trade for Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.
To get Waddle, Denver is giving up this year's first-round pick, which is the 30th overall selection, to go with a third- and fourth-round pick, also in the 2026 NFL Draft.
“Broncos are trading for Miami WR Jaylen Waddle, per source,” Schefter wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “Denver receives: Waddle and Dolphins’ 4th-round pick (11th in round) in this year’s draft. Miami receives: Broncos’ 1st round pick (30th overall) along with their late 3rd and 4th round picks (30th in each round) in this year’s draft.”
The Broncos get a huge jolt to their offense in Jaylen Waddle
For Miami, the rebuild under a new regime of general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and head coach Jeff Hafley continues, but looking at the Broncos, they're committed to getting back far in the postseason. After being one game away from the Super Bowl, which was stifled by Bo Nix's injury, the team has gone out and gotten an impact player at the wide receiver position in Waddle.
Waddle showed out in the first three seasons in Miami, recording over 1,000 yards while showing impressive skills in his speed, route-running, etc. The last two seasons saw Waddle get shy of 1,000 receiving yards due to injuries and an overall regression to the mean of the Dolphins' offense.
Now going to a Broncos team that is a well-oiled machine, Waddle could bring more juice to a system that needs some explosiveness. Denver is looking to further improve after finishing with a 14-3 record, which put them at the top of the AFC West.
