The Broncos went into the offseason with a clear need to sharpen up a position that had too often looked out of sync, and the latest receiver rankings suggest they’ve done exactly that.
PFF’s top 32 wide receiver list for the 2026 season includes two Denver pass-catchers, with Jaylen Waddle coming in at No. 15 and Courtland Sutton at No. 25. That’s a strong sign for a room that, not long ago, felt like one of the shakier parts of the roster.
Waddle’s arrival via trade changed the conversation fast. After five seasons with the Dolphins, he brings the kind of speed Denver was missing, and PFF pointed to his 90.6 career receiving grade with Miami. Since entering the league in 2021, his 5,039 receiving yards rank 10th in the NFL, even though he has finished below 1,000 yards in each of the past two seasons.
Sutton, meanwhile, keeps stacking productive seasons. PFF noted that he posted his second straight 1,000-yard year while earning at least a 74.0 receiving grade for the third year in a row.
Since the start of the 2023 season, Sutton ranks sixth among wide receivers in receiving touchdowns with 25 and second in contested catches with 49. PFF also said Waddle’s presence should create more single coverage for Sutton in 2026.
The fit makes sense on paper. Sutton’s game looks more like a true WR2 at this stage, while Waddle carries a WR1 profile and could even work in a 1A-1B setup with him. That’s a major shift for a group that had too many pieces pushed into roles above where they belonged.
The numbers back up the upgrade. Pro Football Reference listed the Broncos with 43 drops last season, another reminder that the room needed more than just depth. It needed a real reset.
Waddle’s track record is hard to ignore. In five NFL seasons, he has three 1,000-yard campaigns and averages 1,098 yards and six touchdowns over a 17-game season. Sutton, in eight seasons, also has three 1,000-yard years and averages 940 yards and six touchdowns over a 17-game season.
Put it together, and Denver suddenly has one of the more dangerous receiver duos in the league. For a position that once looked like a problem, the Broncos now have a group that feels like a strength.
In Other News...
Broncos Super Bowl Push Could Hinge On One Risky New Addition
As training camp nears, the Broncos are carrying the kind of expectations that come with a team that thinks it can push into the Super Bowl conversation. Bo Nix is at the center of that pressure after Denver loaded him up with more offensive help, while J.K. Dobbins and Riley Moss are also entering seasons where their roles could say plenty about how high this roster can climb. If the quarterback takes the next step, the offense should look the part. If he doesnt, the questions about whether he is the long-term answer will only get louder.
Dobbins brings a different kind of uncertainty, since his availability has already been a concern and Denver has built in some protection with Jonah Coleman waiting as a possible fallback. Moss, meanwhile, is set to keep living on an island opposite Patrick Surtain II, which means every week can turn into a stress test. For a team trying to turn promise into a real January run, the margin for error is thin, and the Broncos know these are the kinds of players who can swing the season in either direction. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos Backfield Overhaul Just Put One Familiar Role In Jeopardy
The Broncos spent last season trying to find a running game that could hold up week to week, and this offseason has brought a clear effort to reshape the backfield around a different identity. New running back Jonah Coleman called it a three-headed monster, a phrase that fits a group being asked to do more than just fill carries. Under new offensive coordinator Davis Webb, Denver is expected to lean into a more committed outside-zone approach, which would ask the backs to be more versatile and more decisive than the unit was a year ago.
That shift has put a familiar set of names under the microscope, especially Jaleel McLaughlin and Jaleel Badie, who are both trying to carve out space in a crowded room. McLaughlin has focused on getting stronger in the weight room so he can handle more between-the-tackles work, while Badie continues to offer value in pass protection, a trait coaches tend to trust when roster decisions get tight. With training camp approaching, the Broncos backfield looks less like a settled depth chart and more like a competition that could reshape how they want to run the ball. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos Camp Could Force One More All-In Move
As the Broncos move toward 2026 training camp, the roster has been reshaped in a few important spots, but one area still stands out as a potential problem: inside linebacker. Denver has been active elsewhere this offseason, yet it has not made a major investment there, leaving a clear question about whether the current group is enough for a team trying to keep climbing.
That is why the speculation around a possible all-in trade has picked up steam, especially with Miami in the conversation after the two teams already did business earlier this offseason in the Jaylen Waddle deal. If Denver decides it needs a bigger swing before camp, it would not be hard to see why it would look toward a proven linebacker solution rather than hope the position sorts itself out on its own. [Read more 🡒]