Trade Proposal Sends Broncos’ ‘Breakout Star’ to NFC North Super Bowl Contender

Getty Denver Broncos tight end Greg Dulcich.

The Denver Broncos may have given up on third-year tight end Greg Dulcich — the best evidence being that he’s been a healthy scratch the last 2 weeks despite the Broncos being in desperate need of offensive weapons.

That doesn’t mean Dulcich has to be a sunk cost. There are plenty of teams in the NFL looking for tight end help ahead of the November 5 trade deadline, including several NFC contenders.

Bleacher Report’s Matt Holder has the undefeated Minnesota Vikings as one of those teams, listing tight end as one of the biggest weaknesses for the team headed into Week 7 as they sit at 5-0 in the ultra-competitive NFC North.

With a little wheeling and dealing, Denver general manager George Paton might be able to get a sixth round pick or seventh round pick back in exchange for Dulcich before the Broncos make the decision to just release him outright.

Greg Dulcich Called ‘Breakout Star’ Before Season

Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski thought Dulcich could be a “breakout star” for the Broncos headed into the 2024 season.

“(Dulcich) dealt with hamstring issues throughout his first two seasons,” Sobleski wrote on August 17. “However, he appears healthy now, which means he can add a completely different dynamic to the Broncos offense … With Jerry Jeudy, Denver’s second-leading receiver last season, no longer with the squad, his 87 targets will go elsewhere. Those shouldn’t necessarily be picked up by the free-agent addition of Josh Reynolds. Instead, Dulcich has a much greater chance to create an impact after the catch.”

Dulcich isn’t an unknown quantity for NFL teams. He had 33 receptions for 411 yards and  2 touchdowns in 10 games as a rookie in 2022, but only played in 2 games in 2023 with a hamstring injury. Through 4 games in 2024, Dulcich has just 5 receptions for 28 yards and no touchdowns.

Broncos Projected to Draft Tight End in 2025

Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine predicts the Broncos will draft a tight end in the 2025 NFL draft — specifically that they’ll select Bowling Green’s Harold Fannin Jr., and specifically that it’s being done to replace Dulcich.

“Former third-round pick Greg Dulcich hasn’t worked out,” Ballentine wrote. “Unfortunately, injuries have kept him off the field, and he hasn’t done much when on the field. Harold Fannin Jr. is coming along as one of the most promising tight end prospects in the class.”

Fannin, 6-foot-4 and 230 pounds, is having an All-American season for Bowling Green with 50 receptions for 701 receiving yards and 6 total touchdowns through 6 games.

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It’s been a long time since the Broncos have had an elite player catching passes — they haven’t had a player with over 1,000 receiving yards in a single season since Courtland Sutton in 2019.

It’s been even longer since the Broncos have had an elite tight end. No Denver tight end has made the Pro Bowl in a decade, since Julius Thomas was selected in back-to-back seasons in 2013 and 2014. Thomas was an athletic marvel — at 6-foot-5 and 230 pounds he was a record-setting basketball player who led Portland State to 2 NCAA Tournament appearances before playing one season of college football in 2010 and being named All-Big Sky Conference.

Digging even deeper, no tight end for the Broncos has been selected an NFL All-Pro since Pro Football Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe was a 4-time All-Pro in the 1990s, including 3 consecutive seasons from 1996 to 1998.