ClutchPoints
The 2025 NFL Draft deadline was tied for the busiest deadline day ever. A record-tying 10 trades were agreed upon. Some were big, such as separate deals involving Quinnen Williams and Sauce Gardner, while others were relatively small. The Denver Broncos did not get in on the action, though.
The 7-2 team was in a position to be trade deadline buyers, and they were even rumored to have interest in receivers such as Rashid Shaheed and Jaylen Waddle. Instead, they used an idle approach when it came to the chance to add talent. So, was that decision by general manager George Paton a mistake?
The Broncos are tied for having the best record in the NFL. Considering their two losses came in last-second, heartbreaking fashion, there was a somewhat realistic path to them being undefeated halfway through the NFL season. The defense is arguably the best unit in the NFL. Pat Surtain is the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, and although he is currently out with a pectoral injury, Riley Moss, Kris Abrams-Draine, Jahdae Barron, Ja’Quan McMillian, Talanoa Hufanga, and Brandon Jones are more than capable of holding the defensive backs group down.
The pass rush is what is really special, though. The Broncos’ 40 sacks are not only 12 more than second place this year, but the team will have a chance to break the single-season sack record. Zach Allen, Jonathan Franklin-Myers, Jonathan Cooper, and Nik Bonitto can really get after the quarterback, the latter of whom has a chance to succeed Surtain as the Defensive Player of the Year.
The offense has had its moments, too. The team has become particularly effective at fourth-quarter comebacks. J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey form a great running back tandem, the offensive line is one of the best in the NFL, and Bo Nix is the right man to lead them all. Nix is inside the top 10 in all of football in passing yards (1,976) and passing touchdowns (17).
While Nix has flashed stardom and come up big in clutch moments, there has also been plenty of stagnation with the Broncos’ offense. They particularly struggle at the beginning of the game, which is why they’ve been forced to make magic happen late. The clutch gene is important to have, but relying on comebacks on a nearly weekly basis isn’t a sustainable strategy.
The Broncos should have added a receiver at the trade deadline who would have helped create more stability on offense. Denver had rumored interest in Shaheed and Waddle, the former of whom was definitely available at the trade deadline because he was sent to the Seattle Seahawks. Shaheed is just a burner, though, and the Broncos already have that in Marvin Mims. There is a realistic path toward Nix and his receivers connecting on the deep balls they’ve missed on far too often this season, even without Shaheed.
That...
