The Denver Broncos filled their biggest offseason need by shipping out their first-round pick, plus more, in exchange for wide receiver Jaylen Waddle. The trade left Denver with just one selection in the top 100 (No. 62 pick).
General manager George Paton said Thursday that the Broncos' roster allowed him to confidently acquire Waddle for two top-100 selections because Denver didn't view any rookie as stepping in and immediately contributing.
"We like to draft high-trait players and maybe they lack a little polish and it's going to take some development,'' Paton said, via . "Sure, we'd like someone to come in and start right away but that's not always realistic for first-, second-(round), no matter where they're picked. It's just hard. And with the way our team is built now, it's going to be hard to come in and start Day 1."
Boasting the most stable starting roster in the league as we sit in April, Denver wouldn't expect a rookie taken with the 30th pick to overtake the veteran in that spot. Just like a year ago, when 2025 first-round pick Jahdae Barron played roughly 30% of the snaps last year behind nickel Ja'Quan McMillian
Given the makeup of their roster, Waddle was worth more in the short term than any player who would have fallen to them at 30.
The Broncos are getting somewhat used to maneuvering without their first-round picks. The club has traded away four first-rounders in the past five drafts -- 2022 and 2023 firsts for Russell Wilson; another 2023 first for the right to hire Sean Payton; 2026 first for Waddle.
With Denver's first pick not coming until deep into the second round, don't expect Paton to try to leap back into Day 1.
"It's unlikely,'' Paton said. "It would cost quite a haul to get up there. Most of our draft we'd have to trade. I would say it's unlikely but we certainly could move up in the second."
The GM said the Broncos brass are focused on a cluster of players they expect to be available to them in the second round.
"There's six players we're kind of focused on that could be there at 62,'' Paton said. "We feel good about those players. We're going to keep working through them."
With one pick before Day 3, the Broncos' draft will be about finding depth players who can develop into future playmakers. That doesn't mean injury or circumstance won't thrust a few first-year players into key roles, but it's a luxury to know they're not counting on a rookie to play immediately.
