The Denver Broncos did not make a pick in the first round of the 2026 NFL draft on Thursday evening, but they do have a new player thanks to the 30th overall pick.
Denver traded that pick to the Miami Dolphins as part of a deal to acquire star wide receiver Jaylen Waddle last month. (Miami later flipped the pick to stockpile even more draft picks.)
So, the Broncos' first-round draft "pick" this year is essentially Waddle. Here's a sampling of how NFL experts graded the grade for Denver.
"I'm always hesitant about premier draft capital for veterans, but given the contract, the position and the limited contention window for Denver, I can see why they did this," said ESPN's Seth Walder.
"Free agency left Broncos fans with little reason for excitement, as their team was the only one to not sign a player from outside the building," said CBS Sports' Carter Bahn. "How quickly the narrative can change. Denver made one of the most aggressive trades of the offseason with a move that should give those in the Mile High City hope that their offense will take a leap forward in 2026."
"For the Broncos, Waddle arrives as a much-needed speedy complement to Courtland Sutton and a target capable of opening things up in Sean Payton's offense," said Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz.
"Although Denver was well positioned for some good WR talent at No. 30 overall in the first round, the team felt more comfortable with much more experienced Waddle in their offense," said Sporting News' Vinnie Iyer. "With Davis Webb taking play-calling duties from Sean Payton and Bo Nix coming off an ankle injury, Webb now has a key short-area target to draw coverage attention and complement the field-stretching outside."
Interestingly, Charles Curtis is one of two to give Denver a lower grade than Miami (A-) in the trade. Read more of his analysis here.
FanSided's Cody Williams also gave Miami (A-) the higher grade for the trade. It will be great if Waddle outperforms expectations. More here.
"Now the compensation given up for Waddle is steep, but part of putting a grade on a move like this is the process," said Mark Schofield. "The beauty of this time of year is that we truly learn how an organization feels about where they are... Instead, they’ve paid that price for Waddle who, given his skillset, could be a perfect fit for both Bo Nix as well as the Sean Payton/Davis Webb offense. Use him on vertical shot plays, get him going on shallows in some of Denver’s quick game concepts as well as in-breaking routes off of play-action or RPO designs, and he might be Nix’s best friend next season."
TRADE GRADES for Dolphins trading Jaylen Waddle to BroncosBroncos: ADolphins: B+@BMac_SportsTalk pic.twitter.com/loz4lbWcOq
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This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: NFL draft: Experts grade Broncos trading first pick for Jaylen Waddle