The Denver Broncos need to address the interior defensive line after losing star DT John Franklin-Myers to the Tennessee Titans.
The Denver Broncos are basically running it back after an incredible 2025 campaign that saw the organization go 14-3 and make it all the way to the American Football Conference Championship.
After a very slow start to free agency last week, the Broncos finally made a splash for an offensive playmaker, which the organization had been seeking since last season. The Broncos traded its first-round pick (30th) as well as third- and fourth-round picks (94th and 130th) to the Miami Dolphins in exchange for star wide receiver Jaylen Waddle and a fourth-rounder (111th).
This move gives the Broncos exactly what it has been looking for – a dynamic playmaker that is an incredible route-runner with elite yards-after-catch ability. Waddle ranks fourth in receiving yards (5,039), sixth in receptions (373) and seventh in receiving touchdowns (26) among AFC receivers — and he has the fifth-most 100-yard games (13) among that group since entering the National Football League, according to Broncos lead writer Aric DiLalla.
Waddle produced three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons to begin his career and even led the NFL in yards per reception (18.1) in 2022 after putting up 1,356 yards on 75 receptions. Waddle’s a beast, and while Denver has accomplished its biggest goal for the offseason, there is a roster hole that must be addressed after a key free agent departed.
Impactful defensive tackle John Franklin-Myers signed a big three-year, $63 million deal to join the Tennessee Titans, which is a huge blow to Denver’s defense. Without Franklin-Myers, the Broncos will still have a solid defensive front but will rely a bit more on depth pieces than it did before.
“Zach Allen is the star of the bunch, but D.J. Jones and Malcolm Roach were quietly effective as two-way defenders,” ESPN’s Bill Barnwell wrote Wednesday. “Eyioma Uwazurike will be in the reserve mix on the final year of his rookie deal. But losing Franklin-Myers, who had 14.5 sacks and 33 knockdowns over his two years in Denver, will still be a significant hit for the Broncos on the D-line.”
Not only was he great at getting to the quarterback as an interior lineman, but he was a great leader in a locker room that had plenty of veterans (one of the oldest teams in 2025). Those a large shoes to fill, but Denver has done a nice job of preparing for his departure long before it was expected.
But how should Denver address this loss? Barnwell thinks that Denver could kick the tires on signing a veteran tackle like Calais Campbell, who has shown that he can still play at an elite level even at 39-years-old, or use its second-round pick to draft a tackle.
“[George] Paton and [Sean] Payton still have the 62nd pick and going after a defensive tackle in that range who can rotate in as a rookie would make sense for the Broncos,” Barwell wrote.
It took a while for the Broncos to make a move, and while the team is still the only one to not sign an external free agent, adding Waddle via trade was a great move for both parties. Denver is in a good spot to run it back, but interior defensive line has become more of a weakness than a strength, which is crazy to say considering that group had an NFL-leading 68 sacks in 2025.