Report: Broncos Execute Draft-Day Trade With Jets for Veteran DL

The Denver Broncos have had a busy Day 3 of the NFL draft, acquiring veteran defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers via trade amid several draft picks.

Jan 9, 2022; Orchard Park, New York, USA; New York Jets defensive end John Franklin-Myers (91) / Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports

The Denver Broncos have had a busy week. It started with a trade with the New York Jets to acquire quarterback Zach Wilson, which was followed by the beginning of the NFL draft, where Oregon star Bo Nix was selected with the No. 12 overall pick.

In between several other draft picks, the Broncos made another trade with the Jets, acquiring veteran defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers in exchange for a 2026 sixth-round pick. ESPN's Adam Schefter broke the news.

"Another Jets-Broncos trade: Jets are sending DE John Franklin-Myers, who has started 50 games the past three seasons, to the Broncos in an exchange for a 2026 6th-round pick, per sources. Within the past week, the Jets have traded Franklin-Myers and Zach Wilson to the Broncos," Schefter wrote on X.

Another Jets-Broncos trade: Jets are sending DE John Franklin-Myers, who has started 50 games the past three seasons, to the Broncos in an exchange for a 2026 6th-round pick, per sources.

Within the past week, the Jets have traded Franklins-Myers and Zach Wilson to the Broncos. pic.twitter.com/sttoenIX1o

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 27, 2024

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Per Schefter, Franklin-Myers is also restructuring the $55 million contract extension he received from the Jets back in 2021, which included $30.2M in guarantees. The Broncos will ostensibly get him at a reduced cost, and he'll be projected as a starter on the team's new-look defensive line featuring Zach Allen, D.J. Jones, and free-agent acquisition Malcolm Roach.

Franklin-Myers, 6-foot-4, 288 pounds, is coming off a 2023 season that saw him produce 33 tackles (15 solo) and 3.5 sacks, to go along with six tackles for a loss and 14 QB hits. He can help provide some interior pass-rushing pressure, as further evidenced by his five sacks and 20 QB hits in 2022.

At 27 years old, Franklin-Myers is still relatively young. A 2018 fourth-round pick of the Los Angeles Rams, he flamed out quickly in his original NFL home, but went on to wildly exceed expectations in New York, garnering that fat extension only a couple of years later.

Franklin-Myers has appeared in 81 career games with 52 starts. As a starter in New York for the past three seasons, he brings plenty of experience and production to the Mile High City.

Per Schefter, the Broncos consider Franklin-Myers to be part of their 2024 draft haul. Defensive line depth was a big issue for the Broncos entering this offseason, and the arrival of Franklin-Myers and Roach have helped assuage those concerns.

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