DL Named Broncos' 'Best Trade Asset' Ahead of the NFL Draft

The Denver Broncos have some tradable assets as the NFL draft approaches, but a defensive lineman may be their best asset. John Franklin-Myers is coming off the best season of his caree, with seven sacks, and was a major difference-maker for the Broncos defense in 2024.

Now, 'JFM' may be on the move.

Pro Football Focus' Bradley Locker listed each team's best trade asset, with Franklin-Myers being the guy for Denver.

“The Broncos have been active spenders on defense this offseason, paying a combined $76.5 million to Talanoa Hufanga and Dre Greenlaw. Denver also has other pending free agents to handle, although Franklin-Myers probably won’t be among the group to be extended," Locker wrote.

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Interestingly, Franklin-Myers has taken to X to voice some frustration about his current contract. That said, saying he “probably won’t be among the group to be extended” may be premature.

The Broncos, under GM George Paton, haven’t looked to extend players until after the draft. There's no sign of an organizational unwillingness to extend Franklin-Myers.

If the Broncos want to trade Franklin-Myers, they should have a high asking price for him. He'll be 29 at the end of September. So, there are still a few years left before you typically see signs of decline for defensive linemen like him. With him coming off a career year, a few good years likely remain.

“In his first year in Denver, Franklin-Myers just kept producing, leading the team with a 17.8% pass-rush win rate and an 82.9 PFF pass-rushing grade. But with Nik Bonitto also on an expiring deal and D.J. Jones getting a big payday, Franklin-Myers doesn’t seem to be a long-term piece on Sean Payton’s team," Locker wrote.

The issue is that D.J. Jones' return on a three-year deal shouldn’t impact anything with Zach Allen and Franklin-Myers, as they play two different positions. If it does, that's a flawed process because the defensive line requires a rotation, and Jones is a nose tackle compared to being a 3-4 defensive end like Franklin-Myers.

Trading Franklin-Myers would weaken the Broncos' defense, which is counterintuitive to their attempts to improve the defense this offseason. The Broncos don’t currently have a player poised to replace Franklin-Myers, which would create a significant hole in their unit. If the Broncos want to draft Oregon's Derrick Harmon or Mississippi's Walter Nolen in the first round, that could change the JFM arithmetic.

Honestly, the Broncos should be willing to extend Franklin-Myers, but if they've had those internal discussions and have concluded they don't want to pay him, they should be willing to trade him. However, the Broncos shouldn’t be opposed to extending Franklin-Myers, even with the many others in line, as they're in position to get a deal done with them all.

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