Denver Broncos Go All-In for Pro Bowl TE in Proposed Trade

The Denver Broncos should send a fourth-round draft pick to land Cleveland Browns’ Pro Bowl tight end David Njoku, urged a recent high-profile podcast.

A recent segment on The Ringer NFL Show proposed that the Denver Broncos should call the Cleveland Browns about David Njoku and open with a fourth-round pick. The panel framed it as a practical fix for a short-term pass-catcher shortage, while emphasizing Njoku’s after-the-catch ability in Sean Payton’s scheme. The show began discussing the trade at the 16:32 mark of the podcast. 

Denver Broncos Trade Targets

GettyDenver Broncos head coach Sean Payton could deploy David Njoku as a yards-after-catch threat in 12 personnel.

“It seems like Njoku would not be part of their future,” one host said, noting the Cleveland Browns’ drafting of Harold Fannin Jr in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft. The two surmised that by trading Njoku now they could at least extract some value out of him before he becomes a free agent at the end of the season.  

The show described Njoku as a playmaker with the ball in his hands and argued Payton would “know how to use him.” The idea drew instant enthusiasm on the pod – “I was fist-pumping in the office” – and leaned on the premise that the Browns might be open to a move for draft value. The segment also referenced that Njoku is in the final year of his deal, confirmed per SpoTrac. 

From a roster-building angle, the price point matters. A fourth-rounder is meaningful but not prohibitive, especially if Denver views the 29-year-old Njoku as a multi-year piece or a high-impact rental during a playoff push. It’s also a slot where Denver has found traits players in the past, making the calculus about near-term wins versus mid-round dart throws.

Njoku is in his ninth season having been a first round draft pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. He’s had ups and downs during his NFL career, but has been viewed as an elite pass-catching tight end, notably earning a Pro Bowl nod in 2023 after catching 81 passes for 882 yards and six touchdowns. For his career, Njoku has 378 catches for 4,029 yards and 32 touchdowns, according to Pro Football Reference. His 32 touchdowns place him No. 7 in the NFL among active tight ends, just one slot behind Broncos recent signee, Marcedes Lewis. 

Why the Fit ‘Makes Sense’ in Sean Payton’s Offense

GettyDavid Njoku’s run-after-catch profile is a focal point of the proposed Broncos–Browns trade.

Payton’s best units feature tight ends who can threaten seams, slip into space on play-action, and turn short throws into chunk gains. Njoku checks those boxes as a dynamic screen and cross-route option who forces arm-tackles and stresses pursuit angles. Denver’s current puzzle: manufacture easy yards while a pass-catcher is “out for a little bit,” per the pod. A strong tackle-breaker at TE can stabilize early downs and red-zone packages, easing the burden on the receiver group.

Usage could be immediate. Payton can fold Njoku into 12 personnel with motion-to-stack looks, sell outside zone, and leak Njoku across the formation on quick slides and throwbacks – classic Saints-era staples that convert at high rates when the tight end is a credible run-after-catch threat. He also gives Denver a bigger body on third-and-short and in the high red zone, where matchup-based isolations against safeties pay off.

The Browns side of the ledger depends on timeline and value. The pod argued Cleveland “really will trade or could trade” him and that he “would not be a part of their future,” pointing to the logic of capturing a mid-round pick rather than risking a late compensatory return or none at all. 

What It Would Signal for Denver

If Denver pushes a fourth-rounder across the table, it signals belief in this season’s arc and in Payton’s ability to unlock immediate production. It also underscores a philosophical lean: add reliable, quarterback-friendly targets who can turn schemed touches into explosives for Bo Nix to continue having an electric season. For a team balancing development with contention, an affordable veteran tight end is the kind of move that steadies the middle of the field without mortgaging premium assets.

Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.

This article was originally published on Heavy Sports

The post Denver Broncos Go All-In for Pro Bowl TE in Proposed Trade appeared first on Heavy Sports.