The Denver Broncos and head coach Sean Payton have been searching for
The Denver Broncos have put themselves into a great position to repeat as American Football Conference West division champions by retaining most of the 53-man roster as well as bringing in stud receiver Jaylen Waddle.
After going 14-3, the Broncos’ bid for the Super Bowl came up just short, causing the team to go back to the drawing board this offseason. The front office clearly believes in the team that it put on the field in 2025 but knew it needed a little extra juice to potentially get them over the hump.
That’s where the addition of Waddle comes in. A player who had three consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons to begin his career while competing for targets with star receiver Tyreek Hill in Miami.
Waddle perfectly complements fellow receiver Courtland Sutton as he does most of his work in the middle of the field on in-breakers, an area of the field that quarterback Bo Nix was hesitant to throw to last season, but he now has a more than trustworthy guy to target there.
What would complete the offense even more is finally adding a tight end that can assume the “Joker” role that Sean Payton loves. Evan Engram was supposed to be that guy, and maybe he can be in 2026, but Denver should be looking ahead to the future.
Engram is in the final year of his two-year deal with Denver and could be on his way out even if he has a productive season. Replacing him with a talented all-around tight end in the 2027 National Football League draft would be a sound strategy for the organization.
ESPN’s Jordan Reid put together his way-too-early 2027 first-round mock and has the Broncos selecting Oregon TE Jamari Johnson with the 18th pick.
“With Evan Engram a pending free agent and Adam Trautman primarily a blocker, the Broncos are looking for a more well-rounded player at the position,” Reid wrote Wednesday.
“Johnson would fulfill that, having the alignment versatility to play inline or in the slot. He has solid hands and is a good-enough run blocker. Denver spent two Day 3 picks on tight ends in April, but that wouldn't stop them from taking Johnson here.”
Johnson was the TE2 for the Ducks in 2025 with Kenyon Sadiq being the top target within the system, and he now gets the chance to fill into the same role. Even as the secondary option, Johnson showed that he can do whatever is asked of him.
He caught 32 passes for 510 yards and three touchdowns, averaging 15.9 yards per reception. Johnson’s size creates a sizable mismatch for defenders and he’s unusually quick for a guy of his stature.
Seeing him be the TE1 this season will be huge for his draft profile and it will dictate where he’s drafted.
