{"id":865998,"date":"2026-04-14T06:07:02","date_gmt":"2026-04-14T06:07:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/865998\/"},"modified":"2026-04-14T06:07:02","modified_gmt":"2026-04-14T06:07:02","slug":"broncos-should-consider-trading-up-to-nab-key-prospects-in-round-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/865998\/","title":{"rendered":"Broncos Should Consider Trading Up to Nab Key Prospects in Round 3"},"content":{"rendered":"

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. \u203a<\/a><\/p>\n

\"AThe Broncos’ strategic maneuvering in the 2026 NFL Draft could lead them to uncover hidden gems in the third round.Denver Today<\/p>\n

The Denver Broncos are without a first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft after trading it away, but they could look to trade back into the third round to target key prospects that may slip. The article highlights several players the Broncos should have on their radar, including tight ends Eli Stowers and Max Klare, running back Mike Washington Jr., and linebacker Josiah Trotter. The Broncos have the flexibility to package a Day 3 pick and wide receiver Troy Franklin to move up and secure one of these talents.<\/p>\n

Why it matters<\/p>\n

The Broncos are looking to build on their roster through the draft after making a big move to acquire wide receiver Jaylen Waddle. Trading up into the third round could allow them to add an impact player at a key position of need, such as tight end, running back, or linebacker, to complement their existing offensive and defensive cores.<\/p>\n

The details<\/p>\n

With no first-round pick, the Broncos will have to wait until late in the second round to make their first selection. They then won’t pick again until the fourth round, so moving up into the third round could be crucial to landing a top prospect who slips. The Broncos have the flexibility to package a Day 3 pick and wide receiver Troy Franklin to entice a team like the Falcons to move down and give Denver the No. 79 overall pick in the third round.<\/p>\n

The 2026 NFL Draft is just 10 days away.<\/p>\n

The players<\/p>\n

Eli Stowers<\/p>\n

A tight end from Vanderbilt with wide receiver skills who could fit well in Sean Payton’s offense as a ‘joker’ tight end.<\/p>\n

Max Klare<\/p>\n

A tight end from Ohio State who may not have the pure athleticism of Stowers but is a more complete player and potential long-term starter.<\/p>\n

Mike Washington Jr.<\/p>\n

A running back from Arkansas who could provide the Broncos’ ground game with a spark after some playoff struggles last season.<\/p>\n

Josiah Trotter<\/p>\n

The son of former Pro Bowl linebacker Jeremiah Trotter, Josiah is a linebacker from Missouri who could push for a starting job right away.<\/p>\n

Troy Franklin<\/p>\n

A young, upcoming wide receiver for the Broncos who could be used as a trade chip to help the team move up in the draft.<\/p>\n

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\n What\u2019s next<\/p>\n

The Broncos will need to closely monitor the draft board over the next 10 days to see if any of these key prospects start to slide. If so, they’ll have to quickly work the phones to put together a trade package and secure a third-round pick to land one of their targeted players.<\/p>\n

The takeaway<\/p>\n

The Broncos’ lack of a first-round pick this year means they’ll have to get creative to add impact talent to their roster. Trading up into the third round could be a savvy move to target specific players who could slip, giving them a chance to land a potential starter at a key position of need.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Got story updates? Submit your updates here. \u203a The Broncos’ strategic maneuvering in the 2026 NFL Draft could…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":865999,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2062],"tags":[232,231,258,2426,7,6],"class_list":{"0":"post-865998","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-denver-broncos","8":"tag-broncos","9":"tag-denver","10":"tag-denver-broncos","11":"tag-denverbroncos","12":"tag-football","13":"tag-nfl"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/116401565209068630","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/865998","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=865998"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/865998\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/865999"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=865998"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=865998"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=865998"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}