With Jaylen Waddle joining, can Bo Nix elevate his game to lead the Broncos, who narrowly missed the Super Bowl, to true contention?
The Denver Broncos' quiet free agency period took a sharp turn after they landed Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle in a blockbuster trade.
The addition of Waddle is a tremendous fit for a roster that already figures to be an AFC contender for the 2026 NFL season.
The Broncos finished 2025 as the top seed in the AFC, but lost in the AFC title game, with quarterback Bo Nix missing the game due to a season-ending injury, in a devastating blow.
Still, the future is bright for Denver.
There isn't much to look at for the NFL Draft, especially with the Broncos moving their first-round pick in the Waddle trade and not having a selection until the end of Day 2.
Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report had one question for every team going into the NFL Draft, but the question for Denver is about Nix.
"Can Bo Nix take the next step?"
"The team's April question will be the same as its September question. That's how it plays out when you have had a quiet March, added another quality receiver for Nix in Jaylen Waddle, and are otherwise just focused on improving what you've already got...They need Nix to keep building in Year 3," Gagnon wrote.
Nix, who was selected at No. 12 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft, has gotten off to a strong start in his young NFL career.
As a rookie, Nix threw for 3,775 yards with 29 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, leading the Broncos to a postseason berth before losing in the Wild Card round.
In 2025, his success continued as Nix threw for 3,931 yards with 25 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in the regular season.
The Broncos offense has lots of pieces that benefit Nix, with Courtland Sutton and Troy Franklin in the WR room alongside the new addition, Jaylen Waddle.
J.K. Dobbins is back as the team's running back despite dealing with injuries, and RJ Harvey broke out as a rookie this past season.
The one area of offense Denver could address is tight end, and Vanderbilt TE Eli Stowers has been a common projection to go to the Broncos in Round 2 of the draft, which would be an ideal fit for both sides.
As is the case with contending teams, the draft usually won't have much impact right away, and the Broncos not picking until late in Round 2 shouldn't make too much of a difference, as long as Nix can continue to make strides going into his third season in the league.