Jaylen Waddle should have the rest of the NFL on high alert based off what people have seen during Denver Broncos practice
It’s still early, but Jaylen Waddle is doing everything the Denver Broncos hoped for when they traded for him a couple of months ago.
The Denver Broncos made one of the offseason’s biggest moves when it traded for former Miami Dolphins receiver Jaylen Waddle, and early returns from OTAs and minicamp suggest the acquisition could pay off even faster than expected.
The Athletic’s Nick Kosmider recently echoed plenty of other reports stating Waddle’s early impact on the Denver Broncos offense. He’s easily been the biggest talking point, outside of Bo Nix’s recovery, and that’s exactly what you want when it comes to the star player you just traded for.
Jaylen Waddle looks the part. On his very first 11-on-11 snap during Denver’s initial open-to-the-media practice, the team’s new star receiver burst off the line of scrimmage, cut this way and that, and turned his defender like a top before emerging open in the middle of the field.
Asked to describe the early impact Waddle has had on the offense, Broncos offensive coordinator Davis Webb paused, smiled and deadpanned: “He’s good.” These are early days, but the Broncos are unmistakably excited about how Waddle can open things up for Bo Nix and the Broncos’ attack
nick kosmider
The Athletic
Waddle is one of the NFL’s most explosive pass catchers and he’s proven his worth with three 1,000-plus-yard seasons over the first five years of his career. Granted, he hasn’t had a 1k season since 2023, but the Dolphins offense also went through some well-noted issues as whole during that time period.
Regardless, he now has Courtland Sutton opposite him and Sean Payton at the helm of the coaching staff. It’s easily one of the best WR tandems in the league and Payton has always shown a consistent ability to get the most out of his players.
The thought of Sutton and Waddle as the “X” and “Z” on any offense is terrifying for the other 31 defenses in the league. Especially this one.
Jaylen Waddle’s career stats
Waddle was drafted with the sixth overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft and made an immediate impact as a rookie. Below are his career stats, thus far:
- Receptions: 373
- Receiving yards: 5,039
- Receiving TDs: 26
- Yards per reception: 13.5
- Yards per route run: 2.07
- Games played: 78
The Bo Nix factor makes this even more exciting
Here’s the cherry on top when it comes to all the early reports from OTAs: Bo Nix didn’t even practice until last week’s mandatory minicamp. Even then, he wasn’t considered a full participant.
Meaning, Waddle is generating all this buzz with mostly backups throwing his way. Just imagine the potential (and yes, I realize this is in t-shirts and shorts but the point stands) with a healthy Nix behind center.
In all, Payton’s ability to scheme players into favorable positions, combined with Sutton’s overall prowess and Waddle’s explosiveness, creates a passing game that defensive coordinators will spend long nights game-planning against.
With what we know about the defense and what’s happening with the offense, there’s no telling how far this Broncos team can go if the momentum turns into reality.