The Denver Broncos are operating from a position of strength, and general manager George Paton spoke candidly about how they view another potential trade in light of that. His comments bode well for Marvin Mims, Pat Bryant, and Troy Franklin in particular.
The Broncos’ trio of young wide receivers is a talented but largely unproven group, and none has cemented themselves as proven WR2s. So, Denver traded for Jaylen Waddle.
He will fill the void opposite Courtland Sutton, but the Broncos are not turning the page.
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GettyTroy Franklin #11 and Pat Bryant #13 of the Denver Broncos celebrate against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Mims was a second-round pick in the 2023 draft by the Broncos, who selected Franklin in the fourth round in 2024 and Bryant in the third in 2025. Paton was at the helm for each of those selections.
Paton addressed the elephant in the room regarding another potential move since the Broncos acquired Waddle.
There are no such plans.
“We really like those pieces,” Paton said, per The Denver Post’s Luca Evans on March 30. “And they’re all going to help us. They’ve all helped us, until now. Lil’Jordan [Humphrey], and [Michael] Bandy. We’re 7-8 deep. We really like it. And so why would we build up this room and trade someone right now?”
Franklin led the Broncos’ younger wideouts with 65 receptions for 709 yards and 6 touchdowns and a 58% snap share, per Pro Football Reference. Bryant was next with a 31-378-1 line on 41.7% of the offensive snaps, while Mims (37-322-1) saw a 33.3% snap share.
Humphrey and Bandy are veterans with very different playing styles who have earned the Broncos coaching staff’s favor. Neither logged significant snap shares, though.
This appears to be a group the Broncos are comfortable taking into the 2026 season.
There are still several months to go until the start of the regular season, though. The draft is coming up in April. The Broncos have also been speculatively linked to several other options that are still available on the free-agent market.
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GettyMarvin Mims Jr. #19 of the Denver Broncos reacts after a punt return against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Paton raved about the Broncos’ trade for Waddle, whom they had interest in before the 2025 deadline. However, it undoubtedly shifted perceptions about the rest of the group, with Mims standing out as a potential odd man out, given that he and Waddle have a similar skill set.
Former Broncos wideout and 2015 Super Bowl champion Bennie Fowler shared his view on the situation from Mims’ standpoint.
Fowler cited Mims’ interview in which he expressed surprise over the Broncos’ trade for Waddle.
“If I’m Marvin, okay, I know I’m not getting extended here. You’re not going to have a $27 million receiver [Waddle], a $30 million receiver [Sutton],” Fowler said on “Broncos Xs & Os” on March 26. “I now feel like I am a trade candidate to get some picks back for Waddle.”
Mims is a First Team All-Pro and Pro Bowler as a returner. But he has never secured a consistent role within the Broncos’ offense.
That could skew his and the Broncos’ views on his value when it comes time to discuss his deal.
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