The draft is often full of surprises, and sometimes, some of those surprises include trades happening during the draft. We have seen the Broncos trade for tight end Adam Trautman and defensive linemen John Franklin-Myers, but could we see them trade away some players during this year’s draft?
Currently, the Broncos only have one selection in the first three rounds/top 100 picks of the draft. They traded away their 1st and 3rd to the Miami Dolphins in a blockbuster trade for wide receiver Jaylen Waddle,
leaving them only with their 2nd round selection. However, they have a loaded roster and could potentially deal from their depth to acquire more picks.
So, let us take a look at the five players I believe the Denver Broncos could trade away during the 2026 NFL Draft.
CBs Riley Moss and Ja’Quan McMillian
Both Riley Moss and Ja’Quan McMillian are starters and key members of the Denver Broncos ‘ top-ranked defense, but they’re both entering the final years of their deals. With All-Pro corner Pat Surtain II locked up, the Broncos are likely to re-sign only one of these players (they also have a big-money Bo Nix extension looming), with the other likely playing elsewhere next season.
On top of that, the Broncos selected corner Jahdae Barron in the first round last season, and these two players currently block his road to playing time. So, could we see the Broncos pick the one they want to re-sign and trade away the other to acquire more picks and open up a starting role for Barron?
Ja’Quan McMillian is a former undrafted free agent who had a 2nd round tender placed on him by the Broncos this offseason. He is turned into one of the better slot corners in the NFL and made a game-saving INT vs. the Bills in the Divisional Round of the playoffs last season. He is due a contract extension, but will it come from the Broncos?
Riley Moss has started opposite Pat Surtain II the past two seasons and, for the most part, has held his own. He gets targeted often due to teams avoiding PS2 and the refs love calling penalties (often BS ones), and occasionally gives up a big play, but he’s a good overall player. Could the Broncos move on from Moss and insert Barron into the CB2 role?
My thoughts: The Broncos are in a win-now Super Bowl window, so I have a hard time seeing them deal away one of their key starters in the secondary. However, they’re likely not re-signing both AND have Jahdae Barron waiting for an opportunity, so it would make sense to move one of them.
If I had to guess, I would assume McMillian would be the one they would move in a hypothetical trade, but the price tag would have to be high to make it worth it. He has the 2nd round tender on him, and that’s where I would start. 2nd rounder + more.
WRs Troy Franklin and Marvin Mims Jr.
After the Broncos acquired Jaylen Waddle, the Broncos have a rather deep wide receiver room. Waddle will pair with veteran Courtland Sutton as the Broncos’ 1-2 at wide receiver, but after that is where things get interesting.
Marvin Mims, Troy Franklin, and Pat Bryant are in play for the WR3 role, with one player likely losing a high percentage of snaps. Pat Bryant is a bigger, sure-handed wide receiver who excels at blocking and flashed some real potential as a rookie. Meanwhile, Troy Franklin is coming off the best season of his career, but his role was essentially replaced by Waddle. As for Mims, he’s a multi-time All-Pro returner who has a limited role on offense, but has made multiple key plays in big moments during his career with the Broncos.
It’s a deep room, but could we see the Broncos deal from their depth? GM George Paton said they will not, but they’re all liars this time of the year, and the Broncos could use a few more selections in the draft. With Franklin losing his starting role and Mims in the final year of his deal, I believe these two are the most likely to be dealt IF the Broncos decide to go that route.
Troy Franklin is coming off a year where he saw 100+ targets and had 65 receptions for 709 yards and 6 receptions. On paper, that’s a solid breakout year from a young wide receiver. However, we saw the inconsistencies at times with Franklin, and his role with Waddle on board is in flux. He will see his target and snaps impacted the most by the Waddle addition, and teams could come calling about his services. The NFL is littered with former Broncos coaches, and some of them may feel highly about Franklin.
As for Mims, he is in the final year of his deal and is a tricky one to figure out. His role on offense has always been inconsistent and limited, but when the Broncos need a big play, he has come up big for them. On top of that, he’s an All-Pro returner, which is valuable to a Super Bowl-contending team, but if you’re not going to re-sign him, do you deal him away?
My thoughts: I would be shocked if they traded away Mims. He is clutch, an All-Pro returner, and honestly, the addition of Waddle doesn’t really impact his role on offense. Mims has been used as an occasional gadget player/deep threat and not someone who consistently gets snaps at wide receiver. I think he’s far too valuable to the team, and unless a team blows you away with an offer, I wouldn’t do it.
Franklin is a tough one for me. He’s coming off a productive second season and is only 23 years old. Yes, his role will be reduced, but he could be a valuable WR3 with defenses paying attention to Waddle and Sutton more. Unless a team comes to me offering something more than what they got for Vele, I would keep him. If Vele is worth a 4th-rounder, Franklin, who is younger and more productive, should be worth more, right?
Unless a team blows me away, or I can include one in a trade-up/trade-for a player, I would keep them.
QB Jarrett Stidham
There were rumors of a potential Jarrett Stidham trade earlier in this offseason, but nothing has materialized there as of yet. Could it happen during the draft?
This quarterback draft class is not great, and teams could be searching for either competition for their starting quarterback or looking for a high-end backup quarterback. If that’s the case, teams could call the Broncos about Jarrett Stidham.
Typically, contending teams like the Broncos are not keen on trading away their backup, but they are very high on third-stringer Sam Ehlinger. If a team offers a decent haul for Stidham, I could see the Broncos pulling the trigger. They have also been doing some work on quarterbacks throughout the draft, so I wouldn’t totally rule it out.
My thoughts: There are some quarterback-needy teams out there. The Steelers haven’t re-signed Aaron Rodgers as of yet, and the Rams don’t have much behind Stafford. Could Josh McDaniels look to reunite with Stidham in New England? Could Mougey bring Stidham in to compete with Geno Smith?
I don’t see Stidham having a huge market. If a trade was going to happen, you would think a team would have pulled the trigger on it by now.
