The Broncos’ Trade For Jaylen Waddle is the Latest Move in an Escalating AFC Arms Race

Kevin Szafraniec
March 18, 2026

Kevin Szafraniec breaks down Jaylen Waddle’s fit in Denver after the Dolphins traded away their WR1 and 2026’s 111th selection to the Broncos for the 30th, 94th, and 130th overall picks in the upcoming draft.

It has been a long time since the top of the AFC has been this wide open. Tom Brady and Peyton Manning dominated the conference for the first 20 years of the 2000s. When the veterans finally decided to move on, they passed the torch to Patrick Mahomes, who led the Chiefs to the Super Bowl in five of his first seven seasons as Kansas City’s starter.

Despite the Chiefs’ continued success, there have been some noticeable chinks in their once-impenetrable armor. Things reached a breaking point in 2025 when they finished with a 6-11 record and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2014. Losing Mahomes to a torn ACL in the middle of December was the final blow for a dynasty that once appeared indestructible.

In the wake of Kansas City’s collapse, the rest of the AFC was chomping at the bit to stake a claim as the new conference champions. While New England ultimately came away with the crown, the rest of the contenders have already begun bolstering their rosters to make a Super Bowl run in 2026. Buffalo kicked off the festivities by trading for DJ Moore, then Kansas City countered by signing Kenneth Walker on the first day of free agency. Not to be outdone by their AFC West rivals, the Broncos have responded to the Chiefs’ signing of the Super Bowl MVP by trading for Jaylen Waddle to give Bo Nix another dangerous target in the passing game.

Will the move be enough for Denver to repeat as AFC West champions and the conference’s No. 1 seed in 2026, or has the arms race to climb to the top of the AFC only just begun?

Be sure to check out the rest of our series on the top landing spots from free agency!

Volume 2 of the 2026 RotoViz Rookie Draft Guide is out now! Jam-packed with comprehensive player profiles, advanced stats, player comps, strategies, and rankings from the RotoViz staff, it is a must-have for every fantasy manager who wants to crush their best ball, dynasty, and redraft leagues in 2026!

Keep an eye out for Volume 3, which will drop after the 2026 NFL Draft!

Some Sweet and Some Sour

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Kevin Szafraniec

Lead Writer and Full-time Cat Dad. Sneakerhead, Record Collector, Beatmaker, Lord of the Rings Superfan, and Jeopardy Enthusiast in my free time. Follow me on X and Bluesky @thecatdadff

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