Broncos Make Splash Trade for 2021 First-Round Pick
The Broncos have done almost nothing this entire offseason. Denver has re-signed 12 of their free agents, including J.K. Dobbins, Justin Strnad, and Alex Singleton. However, the team has made no moves since the new league year began, until today. On March 17th, 2026, the Miami Dolphins agreed to trade their 2021 first-round pick, Jaylen Waddle, to the Denver Broncos. Waddle was almost dealt to the Broncos at the 2025 NFL Trade Deadline, but the deal was unable to be finalized. Denver reignited the talks and finished what was unable to be done then. The deal includes a handful of picks that achieve the goals for both squads in different stages of building their roster.
Denver Receives: WR Jaylen Waddle and 2026 Fourth-Round Pick
The Denver Broncos were one game away from the Super Bowl when it was announced that Bo Nix had fractured his ankle in the 33-30 win over Buffalo. In the AFC Championship Game, the Patriots and Broncos were in a defensive chess match, but backup QB Jarrett Stidham was unable to elevate the Broncos outside of one singular drive. It did not help that the Broncos also did not have Dobbins on the field, but Denver’s defense held up their end of the bargain. The Broncos felt that they were one more offensive piece away from being a true contender for the next handful of years. The Alabama alumni will be joining Courtland Sutton, Pat Bryant, Marvin Mims, and Nix’s former college teammate, Troy Franklin. Waddle is a bona fide star, recording over 5,000 yards and 26 touchdowns in five years since Miami used the sixth pick on him. How the contract situation will be handled has yet to be announced, but with Denver not making any splash signings earlier in the month, it opens the possibility of taking on part of the three-year, $84.75 million deal signed in 2024, keeping him under contract until after the 2028 season.
Miami Receives: 2026 First, Third, and Fourth-Round Picks
Miami is officially in a full-on rebuild. They released their former starting QB, Tua Tagovailoa, their All-Pro WR Tyreek Hill, and allowed Bradley Chubb to walk to their division rivals in Buffalo. In turn, they signed QB Malik Willis, wide receivers Tutu Atwell and Jalen Tolbert, while adding OLB David Ojabo from Baltimore, along with another handful of non-groundbreaking names. Miami is stockpiling the draft capital to make moves in the draft, building around their new faces of the franchise, Willis and De’Von Achane. Trading Waddle will assuredly open up some cap space to allow for a few signings to fill out the roster, but I believe the best course of action is to save the money for a 2027 cap rollover. It is the end of an era in Miami, which saw Tua, Waddle, and Hill sporting the aqua and orange since 2022.
Final Thoughts
It is a great trade for both teams. For Denver, it adds a sure-fire weapon to an offense that needed another target outside of Dobbins, Sutton, and the other players who do not normally make splash plays. As for Miami, it was smart to load up on picks and ditch a heavy contract with three years left to save money and potentially build a different part of the roster for a Super Bowl run in a few years. At the end of the day, the true winner is Waddle, who instantly joins a contender. The losers, besides Dolphins fans, are Malik Willis and De’Von Achane. Willis may have had the idea that he would be throwing to Waddle in 2026 when he agreed to sign with the team, and Achane saw his entire squad get blown up in one season. Only time will tell how the trade will impact the NFL, but as for now, the Broncos move up the power rankings, and the Dolphins get closer to the bottom.
