The Denver Broncos sent linebacker Bradley Chubb to Miami in a blockbuster trade. Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

Broncos losers in Bradley Chubb deal?

By Clark Dalton | Last updated Nov 1, 2022 6:05 PM ET

Despite getting a hearty portion of players and draft picks, the Denver Broncos still received the small potatoes in the Bradley Chubb deal.

Denver traded Chubb and a 2025 fifth-round pick to Miami for a 2023 first-round pick, a 2024 fourth-round draft pick and running back Chase Edmonds. That sounds like a haul, but these assets won't push them back into AFC West contention.

Trade terms, source tells ESPN:

MIA trades:
⁃2023 1st (SF pick)
⁃2024 4th
⁃RB Chase Edmonds

DEN trades:
⁃OLB Bradley Chubb
⁃2025 5th
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 1, 2022

The first-round draft pick they acquired wasn't in the top 10 because it originally belonged to the 49ers. If the season ended today, the Broncos would be drafting at No. 25. The other pick they acquired, a fourth-round selection, is usually a role player, not an elite player like Chubb.

Edmonds is a solid running back, but he's never made a Pro Bowl in four seasons.

Additionally, injuries have hampered the Broncos pass rush.

Baron Browning, a promising second-year player, is expected to miss several weeks with a hip injury, per NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero. Their other top pass-rusher, Randy Gregory, suffered a knee injury in Week 4 and is on injured reserve.

Although Dre'Mont Jones tied Chubb for the team lead with 5.5 sacks, he's never matched Chubb's career high in four seasons.

If Denver fails to draft an elite player to replace Chubb, it will regret trading him.

Clark Dalton

Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

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