Joel Klatt says Jaylen Waddle is the Broncos most-important offensive piece

The box score from Sunday’s 20-13 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars tells one story about Jaylen Waddle – eight catches, 138 yards. It was a dominant afternoon from a receiver who looked invisible just one week earlier.

But when Fox Sports NFL and college football insider Joel Klatt joined a recent edition of “Stokley and Evans, with Mark Schlereth” on 104.3 The Fan, he told a different story entirely. One that matters far more than any stat line.

Mike Evans asked the question that Broncos Country has been debating since Sunday’s final whistle.

“Joel, is it pretty clear after what you saw on Sunday that Jaylen Waddle is the No. 1 receiver on this team, sorry Courtland Sutton?” Evans asked.

Klatt wasn’t willing to frame it that way.

“I wouldn’t put it that way,” Klatt said.

He then offered the distinction that redefines how Waddle should be evaluated within this offense.

“I think it comes down to the totem pole of dependence. Right? Like, I think if Jaylen Waddle is threatening the defense, regardless of if he’s catching the football or not, the other guys are effective,” Klatt said.

That’s the insight that changes the entire conversation. The WR1 label is about targets and catches. What Klatt is describing is something more valuable. A player whose mere presence on the field restructures how defenses have to align, creating opportunities for everyone around him.

“Does that make him your most important piece? Probably,” Klatt said.

He then made clear that the importance doesn’t require volume.

“That doesn’t mean that he has to have the most catches every single week. It just means that the threat of what he does, opens it up for guys, in particular, the middle of the field,” Klatt said.

That’s where the ripple effects of Waddle’s speed become most apparent. When safeties have to shade toward Waddle’s side of the field, the intermediate zones that Courtland Sutton, Troy Franklin, and Pat Bryant operate in become softer and more exploitable. The coverage resources dedicated to preventing the deep ball are the same resources that would otherwise be used to bracket Sutton or take away the middle of the field.

Klatt closed with the projection that should excite every Broncos fan.

“I think Sutton has a better year because Waddle is here,” Klatt said.

That’s the ultimate validation of the trade. Waddle doesn’t diminish Sutton, he elevates him. The attention Waddle commands downfield creates the space Sutton needs to produce at the highest level of his career. Sunday against Jacksonville may not have been the game that crowned Waddle as the WR1. But it may have been the game that proved that he’s the player the entire offense depends on most, whether the ball is in his hands or not.

Related

Should the Broncos really trust J.K. Dobbins to stay healthy?Bo Nix says Broncos will play in ‘bigger games,’ but knows Denver and L.A. is a huge oneBo Nix praises three-time DPOY Aaron Donald before primetime matchupSean Payton says he had ‘good conversation’ with Mike Macdonald, ‘ton of respect’Broncos get Harvey, Dobbins back, but Coleman listed as not practicingThe Broncos can finally wash away Week 1, but the gauntlet is far from over