5 teams who could trade for Minnesota Vikings OLB Za'Darius Smith
By Nik Edlund
Team No. 4 who could trade for Minnesota Vikings OLB Za'Darius Smith
Denver Broncos
Sean Payton takes over the Denver Broncos after the disastrous one-year reign of Nathaniel Hackett. Payton will want to be competitive right out of the gate, as he's an arrogant fool who will do anything for a victory. That could include making a June trade for a still very productive edge rusher like Za'Darius Smith.
The Broncos are currently the bottom feeders in the AFC West. The Raiders are a close second, but everything went wrong for Denver in 2022, and they'll want to get that horrible taste out of their mouths. If they are going to stand a chance in a conference full of explosive offenses, they'll have to get after the passer.
Their top two edge rushers aren't overly impressive. Baron Browning is entering his third season and has five career sacks. Randy Gregory is a battle-tested veteran, but he has never had more than six sacks in a season. Smith would come in and be the top dog in the edge rusher room and would likely start opposite Gregory.
The Broncos may be willing to part with a mid-round pick in next year's draft to add an edge rusher with the talent of Za'Darius Smith. If they don't, they could be in for another tough season.