Several Broncos Could Draw Trade Interest on Draft Day

The Denver Broncos are sitting on seven draft picks after trading for wide receiver Jaylen Waddle. The Broncos gave up their first and third-round picks to the Miami Dolphins in exchange for Waddle, and swapped fourth-rounders last month.

Seven picks in the draft war chest are enough for general manager George Paton to ensure the Broncos bring in a healthy class this year. But they only have one top-100 selection.

Paton has orchestrated several draft-day trades over the years, but this time around, if he makes a deal, it could be the Broncos trading away a veteran in exchange for picks or to move up in a given round. If the phone rings on draft day, here are the Broncos' veterans who could garner trade interest around the NFL.

Jarrett Stidham | QB

Stidham enters a contract year after finally getting some playing time last season after Bo Nix went down with his untimely ankle injury. The stakes of the AFC championship game proved to be too much for Stidham, but he's still a very valuable backup quarterback in this league.

The Broncos re-signed Sam Ehlinger last month to a one-year deal, which gives the team flexibility if the right offer came in for Stidham. Or for Ehlinger, for that matter. Both players are experienced backups who've started in the NFL.

It would take a very impressive offer for the Broncos to deal Stidham, though. Last January proved how much Sean Payton and the Broncos' players and coaches appreciate "Stiddy."

But Stidham is playing on an expiring contract and there could be a team out there looking for another quarterback with starting upside, especially in the face of a shallow draft class at the position.

Troy Franklin | WR

Paton said at the NFL owners meetings that the Broncos love their wide receiver room, especially with Waddle in it, and shot down the notion of trading any of the incumbents. But you know what they say: money talks and...

If a team were to make Paton an offer he couldn't refuse, I could absolutely see Franklin getting dealt on draft day. After all, as the Broncos' No. 2 receiver last year, he caught 65 passes for 709 yards and co-led the team with six touchdown grabs.

Lest you equate that production to chopped liver, remember, Romeo Doubs posted similar stats last year in Green Bay, but the New England Patriots gave him a four-year, $68 million deal in free agency back in March. This is a wide receiver-desperate league, and the Broncos suddenly have a log-jam.

Riley Moss | CB

Moss gets a lot of grief from fans, but he's one of the best No. 2 cornerbacks in the NFL. He proved late last season and into the playoffs that he could cut down on the pass interference penalties.

The Broncos drafted Moss in the third round back in 2023 and by all accounts, they love him. But he's entering a contract year and the Broncos have a 2025 first-round pick who needs to see the field more at some point. Jahdae Barron would be squandered as the No. 4 cornerback, and that's what he'll be in 2026, unless room gets created on the depth chart by way of a trade.

The Broncos could just let Moss play out the final year of his contract and let the chips fall next spring, or they could even wait to see how he starts the campaign, and perhaps offer him an in-season extension, like Malcolm Roach, Luke Wattenberg, and Wil Lutz last year.

Like wide receiver, the cornerback position comes at a premium in the NFL. Good ones don't grow on trees, so if the phone rings and Paton gets asked about Moss on draft day, it'd be a safe bet that he'll listen.

Marvin Mims Jr. | WR

All of the Franklin arithmetic would also apply to Mims, but there's even more to the equation here. Mims has not been as productive as a receiver, but he's a two-time All-Pro returner entering a contract year.

Waddle and Mims are similar receiver prototypes, although the latter is far more accomplished. If the Broncos found it hard, for whatever inexplicable reason, to find playing time and touches for Mims before Waddle arrived, what reason is there to believe it's suddenly going to change?

I would hate to see the Broncos trade Mims, but his expiring contract, explosiveness, and versatility could make him an attractive target to teams on draft day that maybe miss out on the receiver prospect they're hoping for. I do believe teams will be more interested in Franklin on draft day, but Mims is another viable option.

Dondrea Tillman | OLB

Again, this would hurt, but the Broncos have an embarrassment of riches at outside linebacker, so much so that the team is planning on giving Jonah Elliss snaps on the inside. If a team called about Tillman and made the right offer, the Broncos could add some draft capital and dispense with the plan to move Elliss to inside linebacker.

Trading Tillman would create the room to not only keep Elliss specialized on the edge, but it would also give 2025 fourth-rounder Que Robinson more bites at the apple on defense. Tillman is a very attractive potential trade target, though.

Tillman has nine sacks since arriving in Denver in 2024. He also co-led the team in interceptions last season. So why trade him? I understand the question, but don't mistake my listing Tillman (or any player here) as me advocating for the Broncos to trade him.

I'm simply listing the valuable players who could garner interest on draft day.

Ben Powers | LG

Again, the common denominator for this player making the list is his expiring contract. Powers has been consistent and reliable since signing with the Broncos back in 2023, but his biceps injury last year may have created a Wally Pip situation.

Alex Palczewski wasn't Denver's first choice at replacing Powers in the lineup after his injury; that was Matt Peart. But when Peart got hurt in his first game replacing Powers, the Broncos turned to Palczewski and never looked back.

Palczewski acquitted himself well, and hit 2026 as a restricted free agent. The Broncos opted not to tender him, instead signing him to a two-year, $9.5 million deal.

The Broncos would be comfortable starting Palczewski if push came to shove, and they also have 2024 seventh-rounder Nick Gargiulo returning from an ACL injury. The Broncos have also met with many interior offensive linemen this offseason, and could well draft one, so if the right offer came in, considering the landscape and Powers's expiring contract, Paton would likely be all ears.

Other Names

There are a few other players who could garner interest, like cornerback Ja'Quan McMillian and safety Brandon Jones, and they're both playing on expiring contracts. McMillian seems to be locked in as a crucial piece to the 2026 puzzle, though, and the Broncos lack safety depth after P.J. Locke signed in Dallas.

The likelihood of Denver trading either is slimmer. And keep in mind, every name here is unlikely to be traded by the Broncos. I'm simply listing the veterans that could garner interest around the NFL when draft day rolls around.

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