Broncos Acquire Jaylen Waddle From Dolphins in Draft-Pick Deal
The fire sale continues in Miami.
The Denver Broncos are acquiring wide receiver Jaylen Waddle from the Miami Dolphins in exchange for a first, third, and fourth-round draft picks in the 2026 NFL Draft, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, with additional details confirmed by Adam Schefter of ESPN on Tuesday.
Denver will send its first-round pick, 30th overall, along with its third-round selection (94th overall) and fourth-round pick (130th overall) to Miami. The Dolphins will ship Waddle and their own fourth-round pick (111th overall) back to Denver. The deal concludes negotiations that sources say began near last season’s trade deadline, well before Miami’s current front office took over.
Waddle, 27, spent all five of his NFL seasons in Miami after being selected sixth overall out of Alabama in the 2021 draft. He reached 1,000 receiving yards in each of his first three professional seasons, peaking with 1,356 yards and eight touchdowns in 2022. a campaign in which he also led the NFL with 18.1 yards per reception. His production dipped over the following two years, finishing with 744 yards in 2024 and 910 yards and six touchdowns in 2025. A rib injury kept him out of Miami’s regular-season finale. For his career, Waddle has 373 catches for 5,039 yards and 26 touchdowns.
In Denver, Waddle joins a receiving corps led by two-time Pro Bowler Courtland Sutton. The Broncos were the only NFL team not to add an outside player in the first week of free agency, making Tuesday’s move their first significant external addition of the offseason. Quarterback Bo Nix, who led the NFL in pass attempts in 2025, now has a proven speed threat to work alongside Sutton. Troy Franklin and Pat Bryant, both hampered by hamstring issues entering the offseason, see their projected target shares reduced with Waddle now in the room.
The trade carries financial weight beyond draft capital. Waddle is under contract through 2028 on a three-year, $84.75 million extension signed before the 2024 season, per ESPN. Denver takes on a $5 million salary cap charge in 2026, with the remainder of his contract obligation to follow.
For Miami, the move accelerates a full roster reset already underway. The Dolphins have parted ways with Tua Tagovailoa, Tyreek Hill and Minkah Fitzpatrick this offseason, and now Waddle is gone as well. The return of Denver’s first-round pick gives Miami two first-round selections in April’s draft and seven picks in the first three rounds combined, a significant foundation for a rebuilding franchise now led by quarterback Malik Willis.
Waddle is scheduled to undergo a physical with Denver on Wednesday, March 18. The 2026 NFL regular-season schedule has not yet been released, and Denver’s first confirmed opponent remains pending.
Hot Take
The Dolphins got a pretty good haul from the Broncos on this deal. They want to rebuild and got the picks to do it. Whereas the Broncos land an instant WR1 among a wide receiver group that struggled throughout the season with consistency. I like this deal for both sides, but honestly, I have to give the win to the Dolphins. Miami moved Jaylen Waddle for four picks in the top 100; that’s impressive in this market.
#Dolphins 2026 draft picks:
1st – No. 11
1st – No. 30
2nd – No. 43
3rd – No. 75
3rd – No. 87
3rd – No. 90
3rd – No. 94
4th – No. 130
5th – No. 151
7th – No. 227
7th – No. 238 https://t.co/qKiKiiaeBu— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) March 17, 2026