1,300 miles away, the biggest news of the day inside a quiet Broncos facility in Dove Valley: ?

The Broncos’ brass, of course, all took their seats in the war room for the first round of the NFL Draft on Thursday night. They sat. And continued to sit, for 32 picks, as the rest of the league maneuvered around them. This was the reality all but ensured since March 17, when general manager George Paton and head coach Sean Payton and the rest of the staff decided that trading for Dolphins star receiver Jaylen Waddle would be well worth the ultimate price of their first-round pick.

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"We spent a lot of time looking at that selection, and trying to determine — we could safely say that pick would’ve been one of these 7 or 8 players," Payton said at league meetings in late March. "And we didn’t feel like that would help us as much as Jaylen Waddle.”

In a pre-draft press conference last week, Paton all but promised that Denver's draft festivities wouldn't start until Day 2 on Friday night, with the Broncos' current capital too limited to swing a massive trade to leap back into the first round from their No. 62 selection. And a handful of potential Denver options already leaped off the board in the first round as the Vikings swung on high-upside but injury-concern DT Caleb Banks at No. 18 (a Broncos top-30 visit) and the Seahawks snagged Notre Dame running back Jadarian Price with the last pick of the first round.

There's even more urgency for the Broncos to hit on their Day 2 selection now, though, as other AFC West teams leveled up Thursday night. The Raiders, of course, took their franchise man in quarterback Fernando Mendoza first overall. The Chargers added a potentially instant-impact edge rusher, Akheem Mesidor, late in the first round. And the Chiefs to take LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane as a new antidote to the Waddle-Courtland Sutton combination in Denver.

The Broncos, however, will enter Day 2 with a slew of targets still left on the board, as Paton said last week, there's "six players we're kinda focused on" that the Broncos feel could fall to them at No. 62. Most of those six should still be there, come Friday night — whether the Broncos move up or back to get them.

Here's a breakdown of the 10 best remaining fits for Denver at their late-second-round slot Friday.

10 best remaining for Broncos at No. 62

RB Mike Washington Jr., Arkansas: One NFL assistant coach who's heavily evaluated this RB class told The Post that "some team will take (Washington) higher than they should" because of his size and speed. Maybe that's Denver. It'd be incredibly hard to imagine Paton spending back-to-back second-round picks on a running back, but Washington's upside — at 223 pounds with a 4.33-second 40-yard-dash — is as high as any RB in his class not named Jeremiyah Love.

WR Germie Bernard, Alabama: Denver won't — and shouldn't — take a receiver here, after the Jaylen Waddle trade. But Bernard is too good, and too perfect a fit in a Sean Payton offense, not to be listed here. The production (64 catches, 862 yards) is solid, the size (6-foot-1, 206 pounds) is good, and the blocking mentality is even better. Alas, in a different timeline.

TE Eli Stowers, Vanderbilt: The Post's second-round selection in our final mock draft of this cycle, Stowers still lingers, an explosive receiving threat who profiles as a hybrid receiver at the next level. But Oregon TE Kenyon Sadiq, the consensus top tight end in this class, went relatively early at No. 16 to New York. That could well mean a team will swing on Stowers early in the second round.

TE Max Klare, Ohio State: This draft, as Payton said in a pre-draft presser last week, is ripe in both in-line "Y"-type tight ends and versatile "F"-type receiving threats. Klare combines the best of both worlds into one tidy Day 2 package, a 6-foot-4 pass-catcher who thrived from both the slot and as a run-blocker last year for the Buckeyes. He's not as athletic as a Stowers, but he'd be an excellent option for Nix.

OL Emmanuel Pregnon, Oregon: Similar to Stowers' situation, Pregnon could find himself flying off the board early in Round Two after Georgia Tech guard Keylan Rutledge went higher than consensus (No. 26 to Houston). The Denver native took a top-30 visit in Denver, but the Broncos might have to move up to grab him.

OT Travis Burke, Memphis: No. 62 might be high for Burke, but Denver's done plenty of work here for a reason. Burke has rare size at nearly 6-foot-9, and a nasty disposition to match. With veterans Garett Bolles and Mike McGlinchey both still locked in as 2026 starters, Burke could be a fascinating investment for offensive-line coach Zach Strief.

LB Jacob Rodriguez, Texas Tech: One of ¶¶Òőapountry's original favorites at the beginning of the draft process, Rodriguez has risen considerably up boards across the last few months — but not high enough to be off the table before Day 2. That could be good news for Denver, whether he manages to slip into a trade-up situation in the middle of the second round or simply prolongs an inevitable run of linebackers to fall into the Broncos' lap at No. 62.

LB CJ Allen, Georgia: Take your pick of Rodriguez or Allen as the second-best linebacker in this class. Allen revealed to reporter Brett Kollmann late in February that Georgia largely let Allen run calls and checks at the , and he could slot into the heart of Denver's defense for a long time.

LB Anthony Hill Jr., Texas: Everything about Hill, traits-wise, screams star. 4.51 40-yard-dash. 37-inch vertical. Good size at 6-foot-2 and 238 pounds. He led the SEC with 16.5 tackles for loss in 2024, and has some upside as a blitzer in Vance Joseph's scheme. He'd be a perfect fit to push Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad for starting reps while contributing in a third-linebacker role as a rookie.

S A.J. Haulcy, LSU: Not a frequently-discussed option for Denver at No. 62, given the Broncos' positional needs beyond safety. But Haulcy has fantastic ball production across his last two seasons, with eight interceptions total for Houston and LSU. Starting Broncos safety Brandon Jones will be a free agent after next season, and Haulcy played a season for new Broncos defensive backs coach Doug Belk with the Cougars in 2023.

Broncos draft previews
Offense: Quarterbacks | Running backs | Wide receivers | Tight ends | Offensive line
Defense: Defensive line | Outside linebackers | Inside linebackers | Cornerbacks | Safeties

Broncos’ in-house offseason moves: Traded first-round, third-round and fourth-round pick for Dolphins receiver Jaylen Waddle and fourth-round pick; re-signed Lil’Jordan Humphrey on one-year, veteran-minimum contract; re-signed Michael Bandy to futures contract.

Under contract: Waddle, Courtland Sutton, Troy Franklin, Pat Bryant, Marvin Mims Jr., Humphrey, Bandy

Need scale (1-10): 4. The Waddle trade completely upended the outlook at this position. The Broncos landed the truly elite route-runner they’d been searching for. Waddle and veteran Sutton, now, will lead the room as interchangeable pieces at the X and Z receiver, with Franklin continuing to develop as a field-stretcher and Bryant needing sun as a possession target. The key here is Mims’ contract: his rookie deal is up after 2026, and the Broncos want another returner in the kicking game to preserve Mims for punt and receiving duties. It’s highly unlikely Denver targets a receiver with any of its first few picks, but the franchise could look to add speed late.

Top Five

Carnell Tate, Ohio State

The latest off the Buckeye assembly line. Tate steadily improved over three years at Ohio State and flourished as a senior in 2025, with 875 receiving yards and nine touchdowns while playing alongside Jeremiah Smith, who’ll be leading this space next year. He’s got ideal size at 6-foot-2 and 192 pounds, but didn’t exactly explode at the combine, with a 4.53-second 40-yard dash. Still, he’s probably as NFL-ready as anybody in a deep receiver class.

Makai Lemon, USC

Not the biggest. Not the fastest. Not the strongest. Just a player. Lemon won the Biletnikoff Award for the best receiver in college football this past season for a reason, after racking up 1,156 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns. He’s got strong hands, incredible body control and plus run-after-catch ability from any alignment. . He’s just an LA dude.

Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State

A one-time Colorado receiver in 2022, Tyson’s stock has careened all over the map during the pre-draft process, after initially being in contention as the first receiver off the board in April. He missed the combine and Arizona’s Pro Day with a hamstring injury, and random character concerns around durability have begun to swirl around the 6-foot-2 wideout. Take that with a grain of salt. He’s caught 18 touchdowns in 21 games the last two seasons, and has as much big-play ability as any receiver in this class.

KC Concepcion, Texas A&M

Denver would’ve probably been in the mix here at pick No. 30, and even scheduled a top-30 visit with Concepcion, before canceling it after the Waddle trade. Concepcion has produced wherever and in whatever role he’s been across three years at NC State and Texas A&M, and was an All-American in 2025 after racking up 919 receiving yards and nine touchdowns. He’ll likely be a late Round 1 pick and a slot weapon for somebody.

Omar Cooper, Indiana

Similar to Concepcion, Denver was doing work on Cooper, as the Hoosiers wideout took a visit in Denver before the Waddle trade. Cooper was Fernando Mendoza’s top target in 2025, with 69 catches and 13 touchdowns in 16 games, and has produced both from the slot and outside in his collegiate career. He profiles similarly, actually, to Waddle in that vein.

More Broncos fits

Malachi Fields, Notre Dame

Fields will probably go before the Broncos can circle back around to the fourth round, but this is a receiver in the Sean Payton mold (big). He’s 6-foot-4 and a half, weighs 218 pounds, and has a 38-inch vertical jump. Think Sutton’s ability to track balls in the red zone and make big third-down contested catches in one-on-one opportunities, here. Denver doesn’t really need Fields because of circumstance, but system-wise, he’d be a gem for Bo Nix.

Eli Heidenreich, Navy

How about a multidimensional weapon who ran for 499 yards and caught for 941 more in Navy’s triple-option offense? The 6-foot-0 Heidenreich’s best fit as a pro is completely unclear (is he a running back? A fullback? A slot receiver? A special-teamer?) but the production and speed is real. It’s easy to see Payton salivating over the gadget possibilities here, and Heidenreich will probably be there on Day 3.

Donaven McCulley, Michigan

McCulley’s done a Zoom with Denver, and the Broncos’ interest makes sense for one very large reason. The Michigan product stands 6-foot-4 and had a decent season in 2025, with 588 receiving yards in 13 games. He’s a converted quarterback, too, so there’s some untapped upside here. The top-end speed might not be there, but McCulley could be a seventh-round or free-agent target for Denver.

Caleb Douglas, Texas Tech

The tools here are top-of-the-line. Douglas stands 6-foot-3 and a half and ran his 40-yard-dash in 4.39 seconds at the combine, an intriguing blend of size and speed. He had great production for two years at Texas Tech, with two straight seasons of 800-plus receiving yards. In a deep draft for receivers, Douglas could easily drop to Day Three.

Kaden Wetjen, Iowa

This would be a return play, as Wetjen has had an unreal stretch on kicks and punts across a three-year career for the Hawkeyes: he led the FBS in kick-return yardage in 2024, and led in punt-return yardage in 2025. If Denver is seriously considering moving on from Mims, Wetjen would be a good play. Without much receiving tape, though (23 catches across three years), this would be too steep a price unless the Broncos could nab Wetjen late in Day Three.

He played it slow during the first week of free agency, then got fast in a hurry by completing a blockbuster trade for wide receiver Jaylen Waddle.

Payton and the Broncos have spent more than a year prioritizing retention, but he insists that assuming anything from 2025 will be the same in 2026 is folly.

This is the challenge of arriving on the doorstep of a Super Bowl only to come up short. What you did worked well, but not well enough. Ifs and buts are easy to come by, especially after quarterback Bo Nix broke his ankle in overtime of the AFC’s divisional round.

Change for change’s sake doesn’t make sense, but neither does stasis.

“The better you get, the harder it is to improve your team,” Payton said Tuesday at the NFL’s annual spring meeting.

He spoke and answered questions from that unique perch: Well-situated as a contender with a quarterback in the midst of his rookie contract and also warding off any notion of complacency.

Here are five takeaways from Payton’s 27 minutes with reporters:

The Broncos know the stakes of having QB Bo Nix in his rookie contract window

What Payton said: “Everyone would say, ‘Hey, you’ve got Bo on his rookie deal.’ Well, no kidding.”

What it means: Teams with talented young quarterbacks who are still cheap are in the best position to build a complete roster. There’s really no way around that fact. Nix is entering his third professional season and will play with a cap charge just a shade above $5 million.

The implication of what Payton said is that he senses an external notion that perhaps the Broncos didn’t get aggressive enough to build around Nix in the midst of this window.

The PG-rated version of his response: Baloney.

In his mind, though, the Broncos had already done much of their building when free agency opened in early March.

That¶¶Òőap what the 10 contract extensions over the preceding 18 months were about. That¶¶Òőap what the last-minute run of deals for unheralded-yet-important pieces like Alex Palczewski, Justin Strnad, Alex Singleton, and Adam Trautman were about.

Payton chided anybody who cast the offseason as wasted before Denver swung the trade for Waddle.

The numbers mostly back Payton up. The Broncos retained virtually every core member of their offense and defense. ¶Ù±đČÔ±č±đ°ù,Ìę, is in the middle of the pack in cap space (No. 19 at $18.8 million) but ranks seventh in active cap spending. Only Seattle has less dead cap than Denver.

The Broncos have loaded up the roster; they are just betting that doing so with their own players is the better path to the Lombardi Trophy than bringing in extensive outside help.

Jaylen Waddle can be a force multiplier in multiple ways

What Payton said: “Whenever you get into a big-name free agent or a trade of this magnitude, the all-the-other-stuff is important research. When it comes to Waddle’s all-the-other-stuff, it was 10, 10, 10, 10. Obviously, he will help us.”

What it means: Waddle is a really good player. That much is obvious. The Broncos traded the rough equivalent of a first and a fourth-round pick for him because they think they’re acquiring much more than that.

Start with what Payton refers to as the “all-the-other-stuff.” Payton got glowing reviews on the receiver from former quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, one of the coach’s favorite former players and a trusted resource, as well as legendary former Alabama head coach Nick Saban, Broncos corner Pat Surtain II and more. Payton calls certain players “force multipliers” in the locker room. Running back J.K. Dobbins is one. Defensive lineman Malcolm Roach is another. So, too, is Courtland Sutton. Denver thinks Waddle can be that, too.

He should have a similarly broad impact on the field. Payton said Waddle can play inside and outside and referred to his route tree as “extensive.” The coach’s favorite part about his new pass-catcher’s skill set: “He’s extremely fast and he stops fast.”

That¶¶Òőap the kind of player who can not only make an impact on his own — the Broncos wanted a high-caliber route-runner and believe Waddle is that — but who can also make life easier for the other receivers and Denver’s running game, too.

He’s the kind of player who can improve a team even when a team is good enough, as Payton said, where improving becomes a more difficult challenge. That, ultimately, is why the Broncos paid the price for Waddle. He checks every box they set out to find.

A creative option at inside linebacker — and a breakout candidate on the edge

What Payton said: “You’re going to see (Jonah) Elliss take some snaps inside. That¶¶Òőap something we’ve discussed relative to our depth on the edge.”

What it means: Perhaps the single most interesting personnel note from Payton is an impending position change for Denver’s third-year defender. Time will tell if the move sticks, but it says as much about another player on the roster as it does about Elliss himself.

This, in some ways, is a Que Robinson move. The Broncos think they might have stolen a really good player in the fourth round of the 2025 draft in Robinson, who is long, strong, plays tough against the run on the edge, but also has real pass-rush juice.

Robinson, though, was often a gameday inactive as a rookie behind Nik Bonitto, Jonathon Cooper, Elliss and Dondrea Tillman. They’re all back for 2026. So perhaps Elliss can provide some quality play on the inside and free up time for Robinson in Denver’s OLB rotation.

Payton called the switch a matter of “looking at your assets” and lauded the skill set of Elliss.

The head coach noted that two of Elliss’ brothers, Kaden and Christian, have played in the middle of the field, and also that Zach Baun flourished in Philadelphia when he moved to the middle of the field.

If Denver gets anything resembling that kind of production, of course, the move will be a home run. At the very least, it’ll be a fascinating project to follow this summer.

Breaking news: The Broncos coach is not the warm and fuzzy type

What Payton said: “I don’t have anything warm and fuzzy in my golf bag. Except my towel.”

What it means: Payton was asked, essentially, if he could occasionally play the good cop with Nix or anybody else. He dropped one of his funniest lines of the day in response.

In more practical terms, though, Payton made an interesting comment in suggesting that Davis Webb’s promotion to offensive coordinator and play-caller will likely change the complexion of Webb’s day-to-day relationship with Nix to some degree.

“Bo is in there with (new quarterbacks coach) Logan Kilgore now. Logan will be his warm and fuzzy.

Now, Davis and myself will be like, ‘Hey! What are you doing?’

One of the more fascinating subplots of the 2026 Broncos will be how Payton helps groom Webb as a play-caller. When Payton first took that role under his mentor, Bill Parcells, Parcells was extremely hands-on. Will Payton operate the same way? Will he push Webb to coach Nix in any form or manner differently now that he’s in the coordinator role rather than at the front of the QB room on a daily basis? Does Webb need to do anything differently now that he’s in front of the entire unit rather than one room?

Webb doesn’t have to have the same approach as Payton had when he was a young play-caller and Payton doesn’t have to have the same approach Parcells did all those years ago. But the similarities in both are readily apparent.

Sean Payton’s flag football coaching career will not go down as illustrious

What Payton said: “Well, that was humbling.”

What it means: Payton coached a bunch of NFL players and former players — including legendary former quarterback Tom Brady — against the U.S. national flag football team earlier in March. The tournament was originally supposed to be in Saudi Arabia, but was moved to Los Angeles due to the war in Iran.

What happened: The NFL guys got their clocks cleaned by the national flag football team. And Payton, who had Los Angeles Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh along as his defensive coordinator, had his eyes opened.

“You remember the ‘Home Alone’ series and Macaulay Culkin was inside the house? Well, the national team was Macaulay Culkin and I felt like Harbaugh and I were the two guys outside tripping over the garden hose. ±őłÙ’s an entirely different game. It was cool to be around those guys.”

Payton left the weekend with a prediction regarding the 2028 Summer Olympics in L.A.

“When this was announced, there was this feeling that there would be 10 NFL players on that roster and I’ll be surprised if there’s one,” he said.

After months bandying about the term joker to describe his team’s need for a matchup-threat pass-catcher, Sean Payton sat with the media at the NFL owners’ meetings in Palm Beach, Florida, last year and confirmed Denver had gotten its guy. The Evan Engram signing was the Broncos’ chips-in move, and Payton told reporters that the Broncos had successfully convinced the tight end to sign in part because of that vision of his role: a chaos agent that could be shifted at will to take advantage of opposing defenses.

“Having had players like him,” Payton said then in Florida, “I’m excited.”

Engram’s potential supervillainy for opposing defenses, however, never quite reached its full potential. A year later, the Broncos have swung on another piece who can be a ceiling-raiser for Payton’s offense: receiver Jaylen Waddle, whose arrival has evidently excited Denver’s head coach so much that . After Engram played just 42% of Denver’s snaps last year, though, Payton will face months of questions on how he plans to utilize the speedy Waddle. Particularly considering the Broncos’ haul to trade for him and a fourth-rounder (sending their 2026 first-round and third-round pick to Miami).

That process will begin on Monday in Phoenix at this year’s league meetings, where the Broncos’ brass will gather for their most extensive media availability since the end-of-year press conferences in late January. General manager George Paton, owner Greg Penner and president Damani Leech are all slated to speak to reporters Monday, while Payton will talk at a coaches’ roundtable Tuesday morning.

It’ll be a chance to gather broad insights into how Denver’s decision-makers view the decisions that have shaped their offseason, as well as a host of key topics that’ll shape 2026 training camp and beyond. Here are 10 questions that bear answering in Arizona this coming week.

How do the Broncos plan to get the most out of Waddle?

Denver, again, does not have a first-round pick in 2026. The Waddle trade, by simple math, is contingent on the fact that he can provide more value across the next few seasons than a theoretical draftee at pick No. 30 could provide. That’s significant. Particularly since Payton organizations haven’t traded for a wide receiver since Bethel Johnson in 2006.

Waddle played 60% of his snaps from the slot as a rookie in 2021 for the Dolphins, but saw his usage there hover around 25% for the last four seasons under Mike McDaniel. It’ll be fascinating to see if Payton views Waddle more as an inside or outside threat, and how he can open defenses up for Courtland Sutton and the rest of Denver’s current WR corps.

So, uh, what did ‘opportunistically aggressive’ mean to you guys?

This Penner term, said in his postseason presser, . It was ridiculed as the Broncos sat pretty in free agency and signed back most of the pieces of their 2025 corps to short-term deals. It was then praised as the Broncos swung the blockbuster Waddle deal.

Denver’s free-agency approach, though, was interesting by all accounts — set strict market caps at running back and tight end, test the waters on a variety of pieces but never actually make an offer, and let John Franklin-Myers walk for a likely fourth-round compensation pick in 2027. Were the Broncos trying to preserve cap space in the years before an eventual Bo Nix extension? Is that fourth-round pick really that valuable? Was Payton really so focused on that he declined to gather any free-agency intel (mostly kidding)?

“Free agency was tough,” Payton told Kay Adams in that video.

Hmm.

Where does the timeline stand for the new stadium at Burnham Yard?

The Colorado Department of Transportation has officially set a price on the Burnham Yard sale to the Broncos — $45.8 million, a deal scheduled to be finalized May 15. The Broncos’ public messaging, however, is adamant that the area remains a “preferred site,” as the franchise has a variety of factors to iron out that are quietly making the planned 2031 stadium opening a bit tricky.

The Broncos are still working through negotiations with public utility Denver Water, which is eyeing Lot M of the current Empower Field site for part of its facility relocation — a move that could bring some city-planning issues. Broncos officials are also still working through negotiations with SRM Concrete, which owns a concrete plant and several pieces of land smack-dab in the middle of the proposed Burnham stadium area that total an appraised property value . And negotiations with the La Alma Lincoln Park neighborhood on a community-benefits agreement have yet to begin.

How’s Bo Nix?

Duh. Any news about Nix’s ankle rehab has been quiet since the Broncos quarterback took to the media to quell concerns about a preexisting ankle issue following some strange post-season messaging from Payton.

The only Nix update since then has come in early March, when he and wife Izzy announced the birth of their first child (and Izzy also took a picture of Nix walking out of the hospital without a boot). In the grand scheme of things, much more important than Nix’s ankle. But Nix also made clear that he’d be back for OTAs in May, an important step in his rehab. It’ll be important for the Broncos’ brass to note if he’s still on track there.

How do Payton and Paton view their needs now, after free agency?

This encompasses several key sub-questions. Are the Broncos comfortable with running back their J.K. Dobbins-RJ Harvey-Tyler Badie-Jaleel McLaughlin quadrant at running back? (Probably not, if pre-draft activity is any indication). Are they looking to move on from Engram, or trying to unlock him at tight end under new play-caller Davis Webb? Are they set with Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad as their starting ILB duo for 2026, and why did they cut Dre Greenlaw? Do they want to replace Franklin-Myers through the draft, the external market, or internal development?

Make no mistake, as healthy top-to-bottom as Denver is, there are still a few notable holes on this roster. This week should provide some strong hints at how the Broncos see their roster now.

“We’ve got another guy that just came in — Jaylen Waddle, you know what I’m saying?” Dobbins said. “Pick your poison, because we’ve got Courtland Sutton, we’ve got the young Pat Bryant, we’ve got a great O-line, we’ve got everything.

“We’ve got an embarrassment of riches, on this team of talent.”

It could soon become a full-fledged humiliation of riches if Denver’s recent offseason moves are any indication. After re-upping with several names during free agency, the Broncos are currently set to run back the same backfield they deployed in 2025: Dobbins, RJ Harvey, Tyler Badie, Jaleel McLaughlin. But they have a clear interest in further upgrading that room.

Before ultimately turning back to Dobbins, the Broncos checked on 25-year-old RB Chris Rodriguez Jr. in free agency, a source with knowledge of the situation told The Denver Post. Even after Denver re-signed Dobbins, they still expressed interest in adding Rodriguez. The former Commander , seeing a greater path to touches after former Jaguars star Travis Etienne Jr. left in free agency.

Now, Denver has clearly turned its attention to evaluating April’s draft for upgrades at RB3, needing another reliable piece in the room behind the oft-injured Dobbins and second-year back Harvey. Sources told The Post that the Broncos are set to host Washington running back Jonah Coleman and Indiana running back Kaelon Black on top-30 draft visits (meeetings in which NFL teams can bring prospects at their facilities to gain more intel for their evaluations).

Either would present interesting options for Denver, at slightly different points in April’s draft. The 5-foot-8, 220-pound Coleman would likely be a target at Denver’s No. 62 second-round selection or its pair of fourth-round picks (Nos. 108 and 111). He’s a classic power back who can do a little bit of everything — 15 rushing touchdowns in 2025, with 31 catches for 354 yards.

Even more tantalizing, Coleman has as safe a profile as any running back in this class. He fumbled twice in 157 rushing attempts last year, allowed one sack, and didn’t drop a pass, according to Pro Football Focus data. Sounds like a Sean Payton guy, particularly considering his glee in talking pass-protection.

“The way they run protections, they described it to me — is pretty much the same thing that we ran in college,” Coleman told The Post at the combine, of an initial meeting with Denver. “Slightly adjusted, just depending on the game plan and stuff. So coming in and learning fast, being able to play fast, is ultimately the goal.”

Black, meanwhile, was a combine snub despite rushing for 1,040 yards and 10 touchdowns for the national-champion Hoosiers in 2025. He’s less of a sure thing, with fewer pass-blocking reps than Coleman and just eight combined receptions across two years in Indiana. If Denver wants a change-of-pace back who can break off chunk gains both inside and outside the tackles, though, .

From Denver’s assortment of known draft visits thus far, too, it’s clear the Broncos are eyeing help at the line of scrimmage and tight end. The organization clearly needs a youth infusion in the wings behind a stable starting offensive front, and Denver won’t be content to bring back the exact same middle-of-the-road TE room — Evan Engram, Adam Trautman, Nate Adkins and Lucas Krull — to Week 1 in 2026.

Including Coleman and Black, The Post has confirmed nine of the Broncos’ permissible 30 top-30 draft visits. Here’s a position-by-position breakdown of some of Denver’s activity, with a month to go before commissioner Roger Goodell takes the stage at the draft in Pittsburgh.

Quarterback

Confirmed top-30 visits: None

±őČÔłÙ±đ±ô:ÌęRutgers quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis had a Zoom call with new Broncos QBs coach Logan Kilgore on Wednesday, according to Kaliakmanis’s agency, Grady Sports. Take most pre-draft calls with a slight grain of salt, as Denver would be operating in malpractice if they didn’t meet with prospects regardless of positional need. Still, it’s entirely possible that Payton could look to bring in a developmental quarterback to compete for a No. 2 or No. 3 job — particularly as Denver has a prime asset in backup Jarrett Stidham.

Kaliakmanis has ideal size at 6-foot-4 and 205 pounds, and threw for 3,124 yards and 20 touchdowns last year for Rutgers. He could be a seventh-round target.

Running back

Confirmed top-30 visits: Coleman, Black

Intel: Interestingly, if Denver’s trying to keep any potential interest in Arkansas RB Mike Washington Jr. close to the vest, it’s doing a good job. has had several top-30 visits — but none with the Broncos, a source said.

Wide receiver

Confirmed top-30 visits: Omar Cooper Jr., Indiana

Intel: Well, the Cooper visit was pretty much moot. His camp, naturally, no longer expects Denver to be in play for him in April after the Broncos sent their 2026 first-round pick to the Dolphins in the Jaylen Waddle trade. And a previously-scheduled Denver visit with possible first-rounder KC Concepcion (of Texas A&M) was cancelled after the Waddle deal, a source told The Post.

So, highly unlikely the Broncos target a receiver unless it’s a seventh-round flier. In that case, keep an eye on Michigan’s Donaven McCulley, who has ridiculous size at 6-foot-5 and 215 pounds. He’s had a Zoom call with new Denver receivers coach Ronald Curry and a few other staffers, a source said. Mississippi State’s Brenen Thompson, Cincinnati’s Cyrus Allen and Texas Tech’s Caleb Douglas have also had calls with Denver.

Tight end

Confirmed top-30 visits: Eli Stowers, Vanderbilt; Nate Boerkircher, Texas A&M

Intel: All-American Stowers has rocketed up boards after an earth-shattering combine, setting an . Not a typo! The red-zone potential in Payton’s offense is massive. But Stowers might not make it to Denver’s first pick at No. 62. Boerkircher is one of several intriguing Day 2 or Day 3 options for the Broncos; he’s caught just 38 passes in his collegiate career, but is a heavy and capable blocker at in-line tight end.

Offensive line

Confirmed top-30 visits: Jude Bowry, Boston College; Josh Gesky, Illinois

Intel: Expect Denver to find some help here. Bowry is a raw, developmental tackle who recorded the fourth-highest vertical jump (34.5 inches) of any lineman at the combine. Gesky is a sleeper who ran a 4.94-second 40-yard-dash at Illinois’s Pro Day in mid-March, and has been trained in the offseason by former nine-year NFL starter Tony Pashos.

Denver has also had a pro-day meeting and has an upcoming Zoom scheduled with gigantic Memphis tackle Travis Burke, who measures at 6-foot-9 and 325 pounds. Burke had a strong season at Memphis in 2025 and could be another later-round option.

Defensive line

Confirmed top-30 visits: Chris McClellan, Mizzou

Intel: Denver could look to toss in another body into the room to compete for John Franklin-Myers’ old job. Hence, the McClellan visit. Navy’s Landon Robinson, a defensive tackle who racked up 14.5 sacks across three seasons of college ball, also had a post-pro day phone call with Denver, he told The Post.

Linebacker

Confirmed top-30 visits: Kaleb Elarms-Orr, TCU

±őČÔłÙ±đ±ô:ÌęAthletically, there are few more intriguing linebacker prospects in 2026 than Elarms-Orr. He ran a 4.47 40-yard dash and jumped 40 inches at the combine, while measuring at 6-foot-2 and 234 pounds. That’s nuts. He made plays all over the field last year for TCU, with 130 tackles, 11 tackles for loss and four sacks; he could step right in and compete for LB3 in Denver after the Broncos cut Dre Greenlaw.

Secondary

Confirmed top-30 visits: None

±őČÔłÙ±đ±ô:ÌęDon’t expect Denver to be especially active here. One agent who spoke with a Broncos representative recently told The Post that the Broncos aren’t looking to draft a cornerback in 2026, with a stacked room and other needs. Denver has done calls with Oklahoma safety Robert Spears-Jennings and Washington cornerback Ephesians Prysock, though.

Parker, the Broncos finally did something! With Jaylen Waddle and Courtland Sutton now our Nos. 1 and 2 receivers, how does the rest of the WR room look? Does Marvin Mims Jr. fill that joker role now that we can put him anywhere on the field? Do we turn Lil’Jordan Humphrey into a tight end?

— David Miller, Commerce City

Hey Parker, the Broncos finally made that big offseason splash trading for Jaylen Waddle. I’m assuming he’s taking the WR1 slot with Courtland Sutton shifting over to WR2. How does the rest of the WR room look now?

— Ryan K., Bennett

Hey David and Ryan, thanks for writing in and for the interesting questions about Denver’s new-look receiving group.

Waddle may well end up with more targets than Sutton in 2026, but there aren’t really set WR1, 2 and 3 roles like that. Guys align by position — Payton wants guys that can play multiple — and then, of course, there are primary options on every passing play. Payton refers to those as tags for certain players. There will undoubtedly be a ton of plays tagged for Waddle.

Perhaps one of the more exciting prospects for both Denver’s offensive coaching staff and for Waddle himself is the manner in which the Broncos will likely move him around. They see him as a guy who can play outside or in the slot.

What¶¶Òőap interesting about Waddle, in particular, is that despite his diminutive stature, the Dolphins last year used him predominantly as an outside receiver. According to Next Gen Stats, 307 of his exactly 400 routes came after being lined up outside. In 17 games, Waddle lined up in the slot just 22.8% of the time and was targeted out of the slot 16 times.

It would be a surprise if those numbers held in Denver.

Not to say Waddle will be only a slot or even line up in the slot a majority of times — we don’t know yet what his usage will look like — but he’ll likely move around quite a bit.

For comparison, Courtland Sutton, who is about as prototype outside “X” receiver as there is, lined up in the slot more frequently (23.3%) in 2025 for Denver than Waddle did for Miami.

It may surprise some to see the Broncos’ pecking order for who played in the slot most frequently by routes run.

Pat Bryant led the way as a big, power slot, running 170 of his 301 routes from the slot (56.5%). Next came Troy Franklin at 200 out of 480 (41.7%). Lil’Jordan Humphrey (56 out of 174) was at 32.1%. Last but not least, Marvin Mims ran just 62 of his 270 routes from the slot (22.9%).

All of those players will see their roles impacted and one of them may not even be on the 2026 roster unless the Broncos decide to roll with six on their initial 53-man this summer.

Who exactly sees what changes to their roles is yet to be determined, but suffice it to say Sutton and Waddle will be on the field together a ton and then Payton, offensive coordinator Davis Webb, new receivers coach Ronald Curry and the rest of the staff will mix and match third and fourth guys based on situations, matchups and more.

We don’t know exactly how that¶¶Òőap going to shake out, but we’re not the only ones. Mims himself spoke with Altitude after attending a recent Nuggets game and said he was “really surprised” by the trade. He spoke highly of Waddle and said he was excited to add another playmaker but also added, “It’s interesting to see how I’ll fit in in the offense.”

Marvin Mims tells his initial reaction to the Jaylen Waddle trade: "It really surprised me, bringing in a guy like that. … Offensively you always need more playmakers."

Also, "It's interesting to see how I'll fit in in the offense."

— Parker Gabriel (@ParkerJGabriel)

Parker, this question may take a longer explanation than you have room for in your column (which I enjoy reading by the way), but I’m curious about the Denver coaching staff. I just saw an article that shows Denver has 26 coaches on staff. I was surprised at the quantity but also the titles and even duplicated titles (quality control assistants for offense, defense and special teams). I was particularly surprised that Denver has an inside and outside linebacker coach, and then you see the various run and pass game coordinators. Is there any insight you can provide on how these guys all work together or coordinate their efforts?

Thanks for the consideration!

— F.J. O’Leary, Frisco, Texas

Hey F.J., thanks for writing in and good question.

The Broncos do indeed have a large coaching staff and, like most, there are a variety of titles. Most of the time, a coordinator title (think run game coordinator or defensive pass game coordinator) is a way of giving a coach a promotion — and a raise — to keep him in your building. They can also help you ward off attempts from other teams to interview your coaches, since a club can block an interview for a lateral move but not for a promotion. Sometimes those jobs also come with added responsibilities in meetings or on game day, but if a staff is already kind of in place, there’s not necessarily a major change. Last year, for example, Davis Webb was made the offensive passing game coordinator and Jim Leonhard the defensive passing game coordinator. They each said at different times that they had a little more responsibility, but it wasn’t like suddenly they were running meetings differently or had a completely different workflow during game weeks.

Now, of course, Webb is the offensive coordinator and Leonhard the DC for Buffalo. Denver rehired John Morton as the offensive PGC and Zach Strief is once again the offensive RGC. He still coaches the offensive line, though, along with Chris Morgan.

Quality control coaches may not have specific titles, but they mostly work with certain position groups. Todd Davis works with inside linebackers. Brian Neidermeyer worked a lot with outside linebackers last year. It’ll be interesting to see how the new trio of offensive QCs splits up. Previously, Logan Kilgore was a QC working with tight ends. Now he’s the Broncos’ quarterbacks coach.

As for the inside/outside linebacker split, that¶¶Òőap because those groups have very different responsibilities and techniques. In many ways, OLBs are closer to defensive linemen than to inside linebackers.

±őłÙ’s similar for corners and safeties. Leonhard was the PGC and defensive backs coach last year, but day to day on the practice field, he worked with the safeties, while Addison Lynch worked with the corners. Payton fired Lynch after the season.

The new-look group there is PGC Robert Livingston and defensive backs coach Doug Belk. We’ll see how they split up on-field coaching duties during practice.

With our re-signing of Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad, who do you see covering tight ends as the roster looks now?

— Mark, Albuquerque, N.M.

Hey Mark, thanks for writing in. I see largely the same group covering tight ends as last year — Singleton, Strnad and Denver’s safeties. Nickel Ja’Quan McMillian or a cornerback, depending on the matchup.

There’s a narrative out there that Singleton and Strnad are bad in coverage. They might not be the best coverage linebackers in football, but I think — and, perhaps more pertinently, coaches and people in the building believe — that¶¶Òőap overblown.

Denver played as much man coverage as anybody in football, but its defensive principles aren’t as simple as lining up across the board and running with the man you’re responsible for, no matter where he goes. Especially in the middle of the field, the Broncos play a lot of match-style coverage, hand-off players, etc. ±őłÙ’s not as simple as seeing a tight end catch the ball and get tackled in pursuit by Singleton or Strnad and saying definitively that he had responsibility.

Again, this isn’t to say they’re the most dynamic cover linebackers in football. They’re not. But it¶¶Òőap not as simple as saying they’re bad and can’t do the job, either.

Late in the season, defensive coordinator Vance Joseph had a lot of insight into this. Here’s what he said:
“Our corners are really good players. 
  Sometimes, in (offenses’) minds, their better matchups are with backers and safeties. They can control the leverage, which is smart. So we understand that.”

He said he likes to try to control tight ends and running backs by showing pressure looks that force them to think about blocking before going out on a route, referring to it as covering them using defensive structure. But he also acknowledged defenses can’t always do that and also that third downs, in particular, become prime time for targeting tight ends and backs.

“±őłÙ’s tough to find tight ends, especially on first and second down. But on third downs, that¶¶Òőap the matchup they want because they get the leverage they want. That¶¶Òőap just football. ±őłÙ’s always been that way for my defense. We understand that.”

With Jaylen Waddle on the roster, what’s the big target in the draft? An inside linebacker? A tight end? Do we trade back our second-round pick for most picks?

— Michael Smith, Denver

Hey Michael, great questions. I’m inclined to answer yes, yes and yes. Obviously if there’s a player the Broncos feel strongly about at No. 62, they’ll take him right there. By that time in the proceedings, though, if Denver has a clump of players graded similarly, trading back and recouping a selection or two makes a lot of sense.

±őłÙ’s impossible to say from here who will be available at No.62, but if you’re talking about tight ends and linebackers, there figure to be multiple or several already gone at each position by the time the late second round rolls around. Beyond just the surefire first-rounders like linebacker Sonny Styles and tight end Kenyon Sadiq, it’d be a surprise if players like Vanderbilt TE Eli Stowers, Georgia LB CJ Allen and Texas Tech LB Jacob Rodriguez are still around as the 60s approach.

Given where the Broncos are roster-wise, you really can’t count them out from taking any position if they think the value is there. I’ll agree with you on tight end and linebacker as top needs and throw running back in the mix, too. They could use a young safety and could stand to add more young, cheap options on both lines as they plan for the future.

Parker, what do you think about running back Adam Randall out of Clemson? He’s a converted wide receiver and is 6-foot-3 and 235 pounds.

— Eric Price, Altoona, Pa.

Hey Eric, thanks for writing in. He’s a really interesting prospect, that¶¶Òőap for sure. Big guy who can really run. Not the most refined runner at this point, but given that he hasn’t been playing running back very long, he should have considerable development in front of him. Physically, it¶¶Òőap an uncommon profile and not a type of back Sean Payton’s typically pursued, but if you think there’s a chance he turns into something special, it¶¶Òőap worth considering later in the draft.

Overall, though, he’s a fun and interesting watch. I’m guessing there aren’t many guys his size with extensive kick return experience.

David Njoku is still available. We should sign him. We need more talent in our tight ends.

— Tom, Boulder

Hey Tom, thanks for writing in. Njoku is indeed still available. So far, we haven’t heard much about any substantial interest shown by the Broncos. That, of course, could change.

Njoku, at his best, certainly would upgrade Denver’s tight end room. Given where the group’s been collectively from a production standpoint the past couple of years, it would be hard to push back too much against such a move.

Njoku, though, hasn’t been at his best in the past two seasons. He’s missed 11 games in that stretch — six in 2024, five last year – and hasn’t come close to his 2024 output of 81 catches and 882 yards.

Njoku’s played predominantly in-line, meaning adding him would be more about Adam Trautman than about Evan Engram. Even in limited time the past two years, Njoku’s been a more dangerous receiver than Trautman. Trautman has been the better blocker by most metrics and Njoku would have a long way to go to catch up to Trautman’s knowledge of the offense and the implicit trust the coaching staff has in him.

So Grove bragged. He bragged about alumni like offensive lineman Donovan Jackson, a first-round pick by the Minnesota Vikings in 2025. He bragged about alumni like Jaguars offensive lineman Walker Little, and former Eagles defensive tackle Marvin Wilson. And most of all, he bragged about Waddle.

Eventually, Grove asked for questions. One kid’s hand went up.

“Is it true,” this eighth-grader asked, right off the bat, “that Jaylen Waddle was just traded?”

For the rest of the morning, a Houston-suburb high school campus of about 800 students became obsessed with the Denver Broncos. Partly because this was a group of 16-to-18-year-old kids, after all, in a football-obsessed state. Partly because Waddle’s former high school coach, Steve Leisz, blasted out word of Waddle’s trade to Denver to about “500 of my closest friends on campus,” as Leisz said. But mostly because Waddle, now a 27-year-old star NFL wide receiver, still magnetizes eyeballs whenever he sidles back through Bellaire.

In the early lunch window on Tuesday, Episcopal teachers and students buzzed amongst themselves about the Waddle trade. One sophomore came up to Grove in the cafeteria, grabbed the athletic director’s shoulders, and gloated.

“Did you see it?” the kid said, as Grove recalled. “Did you see it? Jay’s got a quarterback that¶¶Òőap going to get him the ball.”

The people who best know who Jaylen Waddle can be as a Denver Bronco live here in Bellaire, Texas. Episcopal offensive coordinator Kary Kemble once remarked that this 5-foot-nothing receiver with Houdini-level escapeability was “magic,” and it stuck. To this day, the football staff still calls Waddle “Magic” whenever he comes through town. He has been anointed for no-doubt stardom since the Army All-American Bowl in 2018, when Waddle first crossed paths with Pat Surtain II.

And then Surtain II anointed Waddle himself, as the two became best friends and ringleaders of another wave of NFL talent at Alabama.

“If you got a pot, tin pots of characteristics — their pot is the elite,” said Karl Scott, who was Alabama’s cornerbacks coach from 2018 to 2020. “It is very few people in that pot. And I think, as they got to that pot and looked around, it’s like, ‘Hey, you’re here. And you’re here. All right.’ That’s almost how I envision it.”

A few years into their NFL journeys, though, Surtain’s pot shrank and Waddle’s widened. After three straight 1,000-yard seasons with the Dolphins, Waddle’s ball production dipped sharply during two losing seasons in Miami in 2024 and 2025. Starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa played in 25 of 34 regular-season games. The Dolphins finished with the league’s 25th-best passing offense in 2025, and defenses keyed in more on Waddle after top WR Tyreek Hill’s season-ending injury. Miami fired general manager Chris Grier in October, fired head coach Mike McDaniel in January, cut Hill and Tagovailoa in February and March, and capped off a full-scale rebuild by trading Waddle to the Broncos this week.

On a conference call with local reporters Wednesday, Waddle shrugged off any notion that he views the move to Denver as a chance to recapture early-career momentum, simply saying the trade brings “new beginnings.”

“I just look at it as — a new opportunity to go out there with a new team in a great place, and play alongside great talent, and try to help out as best I can,” Waddle said.

Privately, though, those who’ve helped write Waddle’s story — from the Houston suburbs to the Rocky Mountains, now — see the Broncos’ all-in swing for Waddle as a spark to re-ignite his stardom.

To become Magic, again.

The prince of Bellaire

Everybody in Houston, Texas, knew him. They still do. Waddle is a diminutive deity in Texas, where whispers of his spirit twist across baseball diamonds and basketball courts and football fields from Bellaire to the Woodlands to Dallas. Late in one junior-varsity game during his freshman season at Episcopal, Waddle lined up with the clock ticking away on a potential comeback win.

The other team, Episcopal staffers remember, put five defenders on Waddle. He caught a goal-line touchdown anyway.

“That¶¶Òőap when the first few moments of like, the mystique — the legend of Jaylen Waddle — was beginning to grow,” Grove said.

In Waddle’s freshman year, Leisz put Waddle out for his first varsity snap on the return team for a playoff game against St. Mark’s High in Dallas. St. Mark’s kicked to him. Waddle took it 75 yards to the house.

In Waddle’s sophomore year, Episcopal’s basketball team played St. Stephen’s Episcopal School, a program from Austin. St. Stephen’s had budding 7-footer Jarrett Allen, a now All-Star center with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Episcopal had 5-foot-10 Waddle. He went up off a rebound during one fast break, Grove remembers, and dunked on Allen.

In Waddle’s junior year, he took a punt return and put his foot in the ground. Two gunners dove at him. Waddle accelerated. He slipped through so quickly, Leisz remembers, that the two would-be tacklers hit their heads on each other.

In Waddle’s senior year, Episcopal lost its quarterback for a game due to injury. Leisz put Waddle behind center, so he could touch the ball off the snap. He scored six touchdowns.

“He could get himself out of a fix, he could get himself out of a jam, he could get himself out of trouble,” said Kemble, Episcopal’s offensive coordinator. “It wasn’t coached. We didn’t coach that. He was God-given talent.”

Getting Waddle to this point was one thing. He grew up in Acre Homes, a majority-Black neighborhood in the Houston suburbs with a median household income of about $36,000 in 2019, Waddle’s mother, Ishea Cotton — his “rock,” as Grove said — pushed to get Waddle into Episcopal, that has 600-plus applicants for roughly 200 spots in any given school year. Waddle didn’t want to be there his first week, as he once recalled to Leisz. He came around quickly.

From there, most everything ended up easy, even when the situation was hard. While recruiting Waddle to Alabama, legendary ex-HC Nick Saban told him there would be no guarantees; the Crimson Tide already had future first-round draft picks Jerry Jeudy, DeVonta Smith and Henry Ruggs III in the room, after all. The best players played, Saban told Waddle. So Saban asked him: Are you the best player?

“Without a doubt,” Waddle responded instantly, as Leisz remembered.

He went for 848 yards as a true freshman, led the country in punt-return yards as a sophomore, and led the SEC in yards per catch as a junior. After the Dolphins drafted Waddle at No. 6 overall in 2021, he broke the NFL rookie record for catches (104), then went for 1,356 yards in his second season. His legacy became larger than life in his hometown before his life had even truly begun. Waddle left a heap of tickets for Episcopal staffers for a Dolphins-Texans joint training-camp practice in Houston in 2023, and teachers and alumni filled the stands at NRG Stadium in 2024 when Miami came back to town.

But those from back home, where memories of Magic still sit fresh on the tip of tongues, sense there could be more. Waddle ranked 38th in the NFL in targets last year in Miami, and tied for 60th the year before.

“Jaylen certainly has always brought incredible pride to all of us here at Episcopal High School — brought honor back to us,” Grove said. “But we’re always – we’re kinda waiting for him to take another step.

“Because we all know that he’s capable, of doing it.”

Teammates once again

In Denver, now, Waddle will be pushed daily by a cornerback who’s become family. And Waddle will push right back, just as he’s done for years, on Pat Surtain.

“Pat is not really much of a talker,” said Mike Weber, Surtain’s cousin and a longtime mutual friend. “But if anybody does get him to talk, or talk (expletive) on the field when they go up, it’s definitely Jaylen.”

In the summer of 2018, early in the first padded scrimmage of their freshman years at Alabama, Surtain (running with the 1s) matched up with Waddle (running with the 2s) in the slot. Man-to-man. And Waddle torched Surtain. Veterans on the starting defense grumbled.

Safety Xavier McKinney, then a sophomore, came to secondary-coach Scott and told him they needed to get it right. The implication was obvious. So Scott caught Surtain coming off the field, worried he’d lose the kid mentally if he didn’t check on him.

“Pat, you good?” Scott asked.

Surtain’s eyes, Scott remembered, were somewhere else. Then he snapped to. He turned back to Scott with a strange look.

“Yeah,” Surtain scoffed, as Scott recalled. “What, am I not supposed to be good?”

He was competing against himself, Scott realized. So was Waddle. The two soon began competing with each other, and became Frick and Frack off the field, as Scott said. They moved into an apartment together eventually at Alabama, and Waddle would occasionally come back with Surtain to his family’s house in South Florida during season breaks. The Surtains had a basketball hoop in their backyard, and cornerback and receiver would wage war there, too.

The two would stagger back into the house, sweaty, looking a mess and talking a mess, too.

“It’s just, in them,” Surtain Sr. told The Post.

Their families sat next to each other in the green room in 2021’s draft; Waddle hugged Surtain’s parents when he went at pick No. 6 to Miami, and Surtain hugged Waddle’s parents when he went at pick No. 9 to Denver. They trained together for their first few offseasons in the NFL. And they hatched ideas, early in their careers, of playing with each other one day.

It nearly became a reality at the 2025 trade deadline. Denver didn’t pull the trigger on Miami’s asking price for Waddle at the time. But the possibility of the receiver coming to Denver was “known for a while,” as one team source told The Post. And felt, certainly, by Surtain.

“When Tyreek was let go and then Tua was let go,” Surtain Sr. told The Post, “you kinda felt that the Dolphins were going in a different direction. They wanted to start anew. And the conversation would come up between us — me and Pat — about them getting Jay. And then Pat would say he’s talked to people about it, but that nothing’s come to fruition.”

Waddle knew it was a possibility, too. He never made a public fuss across two dysfunctional years in Miami, as Hill dominated negative headlines and the Dolphins entered a downward spiral. Privately, though — as Waddle caught passes from five different starting quarterbacks in 2024 and 2025 — the situation was “definitely frustrating” for the receiver, as Weber said.

The Dolphins entered a new era last week, signing former backup QB Malik Willis to a three-year contract. Waddle would’ve been perfectly OK with Willis throwing him the ball in Miami, Weber said.

“But I know if he had it his way, he would rather be in Denver,” Weber said. “And it worked out.”

Indeed, the Broncos pushed their chips in last week and gambled a true haul: a late first-round (No. 30), third-round (No. 94) and fourth-round pick (No. 130) for Waddle and a fourth-rounder (No. 111). General manager George Paton called Waddle on Tuesday to deliver the news that he was coming to Denver. Waddle’s mother Ishea excitedly told Leisz she was going to have to get a new set of gear. Weber, who lives in Denver and does marketing work for both Waddle and Surtain, practically jumped for joy at the news.

“I already knew it was coming, just speaking it into existence,” Weber said. “±őłÙ’s been about a year that we’ve been pounding the table, on this.”

The trade was a “total win,” Leisz said, knowing Waddle would be reunited with a blood brother in Surtain. And sparks will fly come training camp, as iron sharpens iron.

“Jaylen is very quiet off the field,” Leisz said. “And on the field? He is not quiet.

“So I can only imagine that first practice, when those two line up with each other — you’ll probably hear it in the stands.”

‘A competitive son of a gun’

Saban, the one-time legendary Alabama figurehead, has never been one to wrestle with decisions. But Waddle’s situation, in January 2021, stumped him.

Three months earlier, as Waddle was streaking towards an All-American campaign in his junior year, the receiver broke his ankle on the opening kickoff of an October game against Tennessee. He . But Waddle rehabbed aggressively enough for a return date around the Crimson Tide’s national-championship matchup with Ohio State Jan. 11 — as he was also headed for a top-of-first-round selection in the draft. It left Saban wondering if he should play him.

“I’ll never forget, in the staff meeting, Saban kinda opened it up,” Scott recalled. “Like, ‘What do you guys think? Because I don’t know. I don’t know.'”

Eventually, Saban decided to just ask Waddle. Doctors told the receiver it would hurt, but he could play, as Leisz recalled. So Waddle played.

He caught three passes on a less-than-100% ankle, and Alabama won a national title.

“He was a competitive son of a gun, man,” Scott said. “He might be all of 5-foot-10 right now. But inside of him, man, it was like he was 6-foot-10.”

The Waddle trade is quite literally unprecedented in Broncos head coach Sean Payton’s career. In 18 seasons as an NFL head coach, Payton’s organizations only ever swung a trade for one previous wide receiver: Bethel Johnson in 2006, who Payton promptly cut before the season began. The Broncos head coach has a particular type of receiver — big — and has generally maneuvered his teams to draft and develop at the position.

On the field, though, Waddle can be the key to unlocking the two-high-safety seal that opposing defenses often threw at Denver in 2025. Secondaries often shaded towards Broncos No. 1 wideout Courtland Sutton last year, and quarterback Bo Nix rarely had a consistent coverage-beating option. No. 2 WR Troy Franklin has caught just nine of 41 attempts of 20-plus air yards across two years in the NFL, according to Next Gen Stats.

Waddle’s speed, though, gives Denver another legitimate vertical threat to stretch the field for the rest of Nix’s weapons.

“They’ve just diversified themselves even more than they already were,” said Scott, who’s now the secondary coach for the reigning Super Bowl-champion Seahawks. “I mean, you talk about a team that just went to the AFC Championship Game. So, how much more help do they need?”

Waddle is also “over the moon,” as Weber said, at the prospect of playing more reps in the slot. He played 51% of his snaps there in 2021, before shifting primarily to playing outside with McDaniel’s arrival in 2022. And his versatility and production between the hashes gives the Broncos the kind of explosive receiving target they haven’t had in the Payton era.

“With Mike McDaniel’s offense, it was timing,” Surtain Sr. said, who was a defensive assistant for the Dolphins in 2022. “Because Tua was that kinda quarterback. Boom – get to his fifth step, let the ball go, Jay (on) in-breaking cuts. But I think it¶¶Òőap way more than that with Jaylen. I think he can run the whole route tree.

“Obviously,” Surtain Sr. continued, “he’s a deep threat with his speed and explosiveness. He can run every route. And I think it¶¶Òőap going to be even more scary with Bo’s escapability … you’re going to see a lot of plays that break down where Jay gets open.”

Waddle fits the Payton profile in all but size, which is equally important. Waddle’s grit was “unquestioned” in Miami’s pre-draft evaluation, for one, after that junior-year return, as former Dolphins receiver coach Josh Gizzard said. The Saban pedigree means something in Denver, where Payton has hired multiple former Crimson Tide graduate assistants and drafted multiple former players. And the receiver comes off as agreeable off the field — without being docile.

“Don’t get me wrong, Jaylen’s a diva on the field,” Leisz said. “He wants the football. There’s no doubt about that.”

Coaches still know Waddle as the same kid in high school whose mother called before one game to report that he had a 100-plus-degree fever. Not to hold him out. To get them to hold him out. For an entire game, Kemble, the team’s offensive coordinator, had to sit by Waddle on the bench to make sure he didn’t tug on his helmet and sneak onto the field.

“I don’t think he’s lost any of that,” Kemble said. “I don’t think he’s lost that zeal.”

The Broncos are betting on it.

Let me explain. The Broncos landed receiver Jaylen Waddle in a trade this week. He makes their offense better on first down, third down, against zone coverage and over the middle because defenses know he can bust them over the top.

When Waddle does score, he celebrates with a “Penguin Waddle” dance. Waddle’s ability to create space will force opponents to shade coverage in his direction. That means more openings for teammates, most notably Courtland Sutton.

But it also needs to unlock Evan Engram’s potential.

Last season he was the most disappointing Joker since Jared Leto.

Billed as a player capable of creating mismatches on linebackers and safeties, Engram filled a truncated role, catching 50 passes for 461 yards and one touchdown. Because the Broncos lacked confidence in Engram’s blocking, Adam Trautman took the majority of snaps. Engram played 42% of the time, a stunning decline from his 76% average over the previous eight seasons.

With Davis Webb given a chance to put his stamp on this offense with Waddle’s arrival, Engram should benefit. Webb helped recruit him to Denver. It does not require a leap of faith to believe Webb has a vision for his former teammate even if Denver drafts Ohio State’s Max Klare in the second round.

When Engram was on the field, it became a tell that the Broncos were passing. That might be the case this season, but teams will have way more difficulty choosing how to guard Engram with Waddle and Sutton on the outside.

Let’s be fair. Engram’s salad days from Jacksonville are over. But he needs to eat. Give him 50% of the snaps, and it should translate to 60 catches for 650 yards and four touchdowns.

His improvement will help determine if the Broncos offense is good or dynamic.

Thin Ice: The NHL’s ridiculous playoff format, which will again pit top teams against each other in the first two rounds, might goose ratings, but it hurts coaches. The Avs should face the Stars in the Western Conference Finals. If Colorado gets bounced in the second round, it is hard to see Jared Bednar surviving. He is the best coach in franchise history, but like Michael Malone a year ago, will become a victim of expectations. It’s not unfair given the Avs’ talent. But it remains stupid that the NHL’s playoff bracket plays a role in this.

Lake Show: Reading this next sentence aloud is nauseating. It is no longer a given that the Nuggets will beat the Lakers in the playoffs.They have owned them of late. That has changed this month, explained through the MVP race. Luca Doncic now boasts the second-best odds — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the runaway favorite — ahead of Victor Wembanyama and Nikola Jokic. Jokic should have four MVPs, but he has no case this year because of Denver’s recent slide and his career-high 3.9 turnovers per game. With LeBron James buying into a supporting actor role, the Lakers are a legitimate threat because Doncic is more focused on scoring buckets than whining to officials.

U-S-Hey Now: Giants pitcher Logan Webb took issue with the narrative that Team USA did not share the same passion for winning the World Baseball Classic as champion Venezuela, Dominican Republic, Japan and Italy. “That’s complete (BS). I think we probably cared the most of any team, to be honest with you. We do things in different ways than some of the other teams, but we care a lot.” The way to show it? Convince the best starting pitchers to sign up. And get a manager with prior big-league experience.

On the Road Again: It’s OK to note the difficulty of the Nuggets’ travel schedule and the number of back-to-back games, especially this month. The problem is that it feeds into a victim mentality of a first-time head coach dealing with a battery of injuries. If it makes you feel better as a way to explain the season, fine. Just know that it will sound like an excuse if Jokic never wins another championship in Denver.

When seeking a playmaker, the Broncos required a receiver who could beat any coverage and fit in their culture.

Coach Sean Payton did not spend three years creating a tight, like-minded locker room only to stuff Mentos into the Coca-Cola bottle.

He fought to clean up Nathaniel Hazmat’s mess, fought to win the division, fought to reach the AFC Championship Game.

A dynamic weapon to goose their offense was not coming from the 30th overall pick in the NFL Draft. The best running back (Jeremiyah Love) and tight end (Kenyon Sadiq) would have been long gone, and no matter what you think of receivers Omar Cooper or KC Concepcion, there was zero chance they were making Jaylen Waddle’s impact.

The last two rookie receivers in Payton’s offense, Troy Franklin and Pat Bryant, combined for 59 catches, 641 yards and three touchdowns. Waddle has averaged 75 receptions, 1,008 yards and five scores every season.

So, for those lamenting the lost draft picks, get over it. Were you saving them for Secret Santa gifts? My word.

The Broncos were one converted fourth-and-1 from winning the Super Bowl. They are not playing for the future.

Waddle helps them win now. But not just because of who he is as a player, but who he is as a person. There is no beaker to pour in the exact amount of characteristics to create strong chemistry.

But spend any time around the Broncos, it is obvious they have it. Star defensive end Zach Allen told me last season that (bleepity, bleeps) need not apply.

“We have none of them,” Allen said. “You are going to be the odd man out if you are.”

So the challenge for general manager George Paton and Payton was to be brilliant, bold and selective. Character mattered.

Waddle delivers, perhaps more off the field than on it.

He left a vapor trail of long plays and 100 yards of smiles.

Let’s start with the best story told by former Three years ago, Waddle befriended 6-year-old cancer patient Rocco Passaro. His parents, Raymond and Ida, viewed Rocco as a superhero. But with their son facing a potential bone marrow transplant, they braced for the worst.

They asked him to compile a bucket list. Going to a Dolphins game was near the top. The family got connected to the team and it wasn’t long before Rocco was on the sideline.

“Rocco is definitely someone that is special. We have a special a bond, and I think that¶¶Òőap just going to continue (no matter) where I play at,” Waddle said Wednesday. “He has family in me on his side.”

Waddle, 27, went beyond a meet-and-greet. He connected with Rocco, face-timed him, received updates on his health, and their relationship was credited for helping Rocco beat leukemia.

This story folds into who the Broncos are. They received ESPN’s 2022 Sports Humanitarian Team of the Year Award for their work in the community. Service before self is in Waddle’s DNA.

When the Dolphins released a thank you post on Twitter, the highlights featured Waddle hanging out with a boy wearing his jersey before a game, posing for pictures with Boys&Girls Clubs members and teaching his penguin celebration dance to kids.

This stuff matters in Denver. Folks roll their eyes, but it is real. The competition for their Walter Payton Man of the Year is more competitive than for team MVP.

“I’m definitely going to get in the community and do something. I know ‘PS2’ (Pat Surtain II) is going to help me find different things to get into,” said Waddle, who was part of Alabama’s 2018 recruiting class with Surtain and teammates with him on the 2020 national championship team. “I know he does a lot of good things out here.”

Why should you care? Simple. It will allow Waddle to assimilate seamlessly, increasing the likelihood he makes an early impact.

Which brings us to another salient point. The question Waddle faced four months from his first training camp in his first year with his new team: Does he see himself as the No. 1 receiver?

Mind you, this position features more divas than “Moulin Rouge.” Receivers have cratered seasons with me-over-we buffoonery.

Waddle did not take the bait. His goals are team goals.

This is not a front. After the Dolphins acquired Tyreek Hill in 2022, Waddle saw his targets shrink for three consecutive seasons. As Hill ate like crazy, there was less meat on the bone for Waddle.

He never made a stink. Never whined, even as quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s play deteriorated last season.

You know who else is like this? Courtland Sutton, a team captain.

Of course, the Broncos required someone with special talent. But they needed that player to possess humility. Waddle can be quirky and hilarious — but his unselfishness remains a defining quality.

“I honestly think it was just the way I was brought up. My mom and dad obviously tried to do a good job as best they could with keeping me not too high, but not too low. So just staying at a good head space,” Waddle said. “I think it¶¶Òőap going to be a fun group. They have a lot of talent with ‘Court’, ‘Marv’ (Marvin Mims Jr.), Troy, Pat Lil’Jordan (Humphrey). I’m here to help in every fashion, making plays and learning. I’m excited to learn from them and for them to learn from me. It should be great.”

He makes the Broncos better. And his makeup makes them the AFC’s top contender.

“This is exactly what we needed,” Surtain told the team website. “He fits this team very well.”

Their training camp battles this summer, though, should be pay-per-view quality.

Waddle is officially the Broncos’ new wide receiver after he passed his physical on Wednesday and the club announced the terms of its blockbuster trade with Miami.

Waddle went viral just days before the trade actually materialized when he was asked who in the NFL he’d like to fight and he, in very colorful terms, called out his former teammate and longtime friend Surtain and said he would dominate.

“I still stand on what I said about Pat,” Waddle told reporters in an introductory conference call Wednesday afternoon.

The call didn’t feature video, but it was easy to sense Waddle’s smile on the other end of the line. The same kind of wattage, perhaps, that he flashed when on FaceTime with Surtain shortly after news of the trade broke Tuesday morning.

Jaylen Waddle and Pat Surtain II seem happy.

— Parker Gabriel (@ParkerJGabriel)

“It was special. He was one of the first calls that I made,” Waddle said of Surtain. “We talked about this early in our career, that we wanted to get together and play with each other.

“Seeing it happen, it¶¶Òőap special.”

The pair starred together at Alabama. Then Waddle was drafted No. 6 overall by Miami in 2021. Three picks later, the Broncos took Surtain.

Now they are teammates again and will see plenty of each other on opposite sides of the line of scrimmage this offseason before attempting to lead Denver toward a championship this fall.

“±őłÙ’s exciting just playing with great players,” Waddle said. “Everyone is talking about how great and close the team is. I’m excited to be around the guys, get to know them, and they get to know me and go from there.”

Denver has coveted Waddle, with his elite speed and versatility, for some time. General manager George Paton and head coach Sean Payton had interest in trading for Waddle at the trade deadline during the 2025 season, though a deal never materialized.

Waddle said he heard of Denver’s interest during that stretch.

“It was hearsay, so you never know what¶¶Òőap true and what¶¶Òőap not true,” Waddle said. “But you could say I was (aware).”

Now he’s officially a Bronco.

“It feels like home, feels like family,” Waddle said Wednesday. “Everyone has been welcoming. ±őłÙ’s been great.”

On the field, he’ll slot in right at the top of Denver’s receiver group along with Courtland Sutton.

Denver has plowed money into its offensive and defensive lines and extended 10 players over the past 18 months, but perhaps no group has received more extensive and consistent investment than the receivers.

The Broncos drafted Marvin Mims Jr. in the second round in 2023, then traded up to select Troy Franklin at the very top of the fourth round. They used a third-rounder on Pat Bryant last spring, then signed Sutton to a four-year, $92 million extension before the regular season.

Now they’ve traded their first-round pick in next month’s draft plus third and fourth-rounders for Waddle and a fourth.

That kind of investment requires upper-echelon production from the group going forward.

Waddle will only just start getting to know his new teammates in the coming weeks, but he’s already confident Denver’s receiver group can provide just that.

“I don’t think there’s any true No. 1 (receiver),” Waddle said. “Everybody is just here to make plays and to win. 
 ±őłÙ’s going to be a fun group. They’ve got a lot of talent. Court, Marv, Troy (Franklin), Pat, Lil’Jordan (Humphrey).

“I’m here to help in every fashion. Making plays and learning. I’m excited to learn from them and for them to learn from me. It should be fun. It should be great.”