Broncos Training Camp Powered by Ford begins later this month, and we're taking a position-by-position look at the Broncos' roster.

We continue with Denver's pass catchers in the wide receiving and tight end rooms, where offseason addition Jaylen Waddle is poised to make an impact during his first season with the Broncos.

PLAYER TO WATCH

WR Jaylen Waddle

The Broncos made their biggest move of the offseason in mid-March when the team acquired wide receiver Jaylen Waddle in a trade with the Miami Dolphins. The sixth-year player brings an extensive resume to Denver; Waddle has recorded three 1,000-yard seasons during his first five years in the league and boasts a 17-game average output of 81 catches for 1,098 yards and six touchdowns.

Head Coach Sean Payton expressed his excitement about Waddle's speed and dynamic playmaking ability following the trade, and after Waddle took his first reps with the Broncos during mandatory minicamp in June, the star receiver appears to be as advertised.

"He's someone who picks things up real quick," Payton said in June. "… You can just feel his instincts, his quickness and his ability to not only run fast but stop fast. So, he's doing well."

Payton, who said that Waddle brings exceptional versatility and flexibility, stressed that there was a "crystal-clear vision" for the 2021 sixth-overall pick prior to the trade. Training camp should provide the next opportunity to see that vision materialize.

TOP STORYLINE

How will the addition of WR Jaylen Waddle create opportunities for other playmakers?

As Waddle joins the Broncos' receiving corps, Payton acknowledged the depth of the room and said catering to the unique skill set of each player will be critical in 2026.

"There are things that the guys do very well," Payton said of receivers Courtland Sutton, Pat Bryant, Troy Franklin and Marvin Mims Jr. "Our job is to find those strengths and put them in those positions. He [Waddle] has been a great addition, and we're just getting started."

For quarterback Bo Nix, the addition of the star receiver will only elevate the group's holistic production.

"[Waddle is] just going to add an element of relief for everybody else and take a little bit of the touches so that other guys don't have to take them all," Nix said. "Once those guys take them, they're fresh and ready to take them. I think a guy like that makes everybody on the offense better, and then it obviously helps the defense in the same way."

With opposing defenses needing to allocate time and energy into finding ways to contain Waddle, various other pass catchers could see increased opportunities to make an impact.

Tight end Evan Engram could see increased production during his second season with the team, while Sutton — who has logged back-to-back seasons with over 1,000 receiving yards — could benefit from more one-on-one matchups.

"Courtland is an elite playmaker, so anytime you have a playmaker on the other side of you, it just makes it easy," Waddle said. "It's someone that the defense has to be looking for, and vice versa."

Training camp should provide an early glimpse into how the addition of Waddle could alter Denver's offensive operation and, more specifically, how it might positively impact the roles of other contributors on the roster.

STAT TO KNOW

15.0

Waddle has been one of the league's most explosive playmakers over the last several seasons, and his 15.0 yards per reception since 2022 are the third-most in the NFL. He also led the league with 18.1 yards per reception in 2022.

Waddle's speed and efficiency, Nix said, could unlock new opportunities for Denver's offense.

"There's an element of explosiveness that I think as an offense we've lacked for a couple years," Nix said in June. "We've had plenty of explosive plays, plenty of points, all that kind of stuff. We've made great strides, but there's a level of explosiveness that a guy like that adds. … You just can't replace speed. That's just what he brings to the table."

Waddle's explosiveness and elusive style of play have allowed him to record several receptions of 50 yards or more throughout his first five seasons in the league. In 2022, he recorded the longest reception of his career up to this point — an 84-yard touchdown catch.

"You could be first-and-10 and starting a drive and go one-and-done because he takes it 75, 80 yards," Nix said. "That's the kind of weapon that we added."

… AND ONE MORE THING

With the addition of Waddle expected to alter the dynamic of Denver's passing attack, it will be worth keeping an eye on how the Broncos' young tight ends fold into the mix.

The tight end room features several veterans including Engram, Adam Trautman, Lucas Krull and Nate Adkins, who have each contributed to Denver's success in recent seasons. The group, however, also includes young players who will be looking to earn a role in the rotation.

The Broncos selected two tight ends during the 2026 NFL Draft: NC State's Justin Joly and Utah's Dallen Bentley. And Caleb Lohner, a 2025 seventh-round draft pick, showcased significant improvement while participating in rookie minicamp as a veteran/first-year player in May.

"One year into the program, and how he's moving, what he's doing — everything looks entirely different," Payton said of Lohner, who played just one season of college football after three seasons of collegiate basketball. "… So, it's been good to see him in Year 2. You knew there was going to be a developmental upside, but that was encouraging."