For the first time in several years, the Denver Broncos actually made a trade ahead of the NFL deadline.

On Tuesday, the Broncos sent a 2027 fourth-round pick and a 2028 fifth-round pick to the Los Angeles Chargers in exchange for veteran linebacker Daiyan Henley. It's not often that division rivals will trade with each other, especially during the season, but the winless Chargers are in a unique position and the Broncos were smart enough to capitalize.

Henley is a fourth-year linebacker whom the Chargers drafted out of Washington State in the third round (No. 85 overall) back in 2023. He also played some college ball at Nevada.

The Broncos didn't make a trade for a running back, tight end, or offensive lineman, as many fans hoped. Sean Payton said, "I like this team a lot," after beating the Carolina Panthers 26-21 on Sunday, and the lack of a trade to help the offense not only reinforces that, but also shows much confidence in the Broncos' skill positions.

The Broncos expect to get RJ Harvey and Tyler Badie back from injured reserve soon, and beyond them, the team is apparently content with rookie starter Jonah Coleman and veteran complement J.K. Dobbins, even if fans wanted the team to add one more running back while it still could.

The trade deadline has passed, with the Broncos making one trade. What grade should Denver get for the Henley trade? Let's break down how he fits before grading this trade.

Henley's Fit

At 6-foot-0 and 225 pounds, Henley is not a big linebacker, but that doesn't mean he's afraid to mix it up. He's very physical and offers sideline-to-sideline ability as a three-down linebacker.

Henley is a two-time team Chargers team captain and he led them in tackles thrice — if you count this season (51 tackles). He's only 26, and although he's in a contract year, the Broncos have the flexibility to see how he fits with half the season to go, plus the playoffs, before deciding on whether to re-sign him.

With a 2026 salary of $3.674 million, the Chargers have already paid half of that, leaving the Broncos with only a minor salary-cap liability with Henley. The Broncos had to be smart financially ahead of the deadline, with just $4.6 million in cap space. Henley will fit with plenty of room to spare.

Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad are the Broncos' starting linebackers, so Henley will begin his tenure as a depth player, depsite his experience as a 41-game starter. Much like last season when Dre Greenlaw was healthy and available, the Broncos will employ a three-man rotation at linebacker, based on down and distance.

In a perfect world, I'd like to see Henley on the field more than Singleton in obvious passing situations, but as the defender with the green dot on his helmet, it's hard to see the Broncos taking their team captain off the field much. But Singleton has already played an insane number of snaps, so for more reasons than one, it would behoove the team to carve out some of his snaps for Henley.

That being said, Singleton plays 100% of the Broncos' defensive snaps for a reason. I doubt they'll move away from that, so as Henley gets worked into the rotation, it's likely to be at Strnad's expense. I'm okay with that, too.

Henley has proven to be a difference-maker in coverage and a reliable tackler against the run. His nose for the ball is a nice bonus. He has four career interceptions, plus two forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery.

Singleton has three career interceptions, three forced fumbles, and five fumble recoveries since entering the league in 2019. Strnad has exactly one career interception and one fumble recovery. Henley is more of a ballhawk with great instincts.

Henley's Future

The Broncos have some decisions to make at linebacker after this season, with Singleton about to turn 33 and Strnad already over 30. Both were re-signed this past spring, with Singleton being under contract through 2027 and Strnad through 2028.

Singleton is the one to watch in the offseason, though. He's played quite well this season, earning Defensive Player of the Month honors for October, but he punctuated his 2026 campaign with a stinker to start the year and another in Carolina last week.

Singleton is on pace for a 200-tackle season, but Father Time is undefeated. The Broncos began planning for the future by selecting linebacker Red Murdock with the last pick in the 2026 draft, but he has spent his rookie year competing on the practice squad.

Hopefully, Murdock is developing, too. If things work out with Henley and the Broncos opt to re-sign him, it would give them two under-30 investments to potentially build around for the future, independent of what happens with Singleton after the 2026 season.

Karene Reid and Jordan Turner will be 27 and 25, respectively, when next season starts, so the Broncos have some youth on their side at linebacker, even if their current depth beyond Henley is inexperienced.

Need Filled

The Broncos needed a coverage linebacker. The best illustration is the nearly 300 yards and three touchdowns they've allowed to tight ends over the past three games alone.

Henley may not be a cure-all, but he upgrades the Broncos' defense and gives Vance Joseph a viable weapon to deploy against opponents with athletic, pass-catching tight ends. It just so happens that Henley is also very good against the run, so adding a three-down linebacker at the trade deadline should be celebrated, especially given the cost.

What an INT by Daiyan Henley!

LACvsKC on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/qyp5jYJbVF

— NFL (@NFL) December 14, 2025

Things didn't pan out last year with Greenlaw, but Henley could be a totally different story. There's less baggage and no injury jacket, and Henley arguably brings a more reliable resume to Denver than Greenlaw did.

The Broncos are expected to land a fourth-round compensatory draft pick in 2027 for the free-agent departure of defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers, which offsets the higher draft pick given up to the Chargers for Henley.

In other words, when it all comes out in the wash, the Broncos just added a three-down linebacker with coverage chops for the price of a fifth-round pick two years from now. How could anyone pan this pick?

My Grade: A+

Factoring in Henley's age, health, fit, and cap impact, this was a home run of a trade. He fills a big, lingering need, and the Broncos have the flexibility to decide on his post-2026 future after the season ends.

I may be slightly mystified that Denver spurned the opportunity to also upgrade the backfield behind Bo Nix, but that's not what I'm grading here. This is purely a grade of the Henley trade, and the Broncos pass with flying colors.

Let's see how a few of our staff writers graded the Henley trade.

I love this move for the Broncos. Henley was struggling on an 0-8 Chargers team, but his upside as a coverage linebacker cannot be overstated.

The Broncos have needed help in that area for years, and they didn't give up much to get him. The fourth-rounder is probably recouped as a compensatory pick for losing Franklin-Myers in the offseason, so sending a 2028 fifth-round pick for a starting-quality player who could be extended after this season is great work by GM George Paton.

A trade for an inside linebacker is not something I imagine most Broncos fans thought would happen, especially with a division rival. But Henley will help take some of the load off Singleton and Strnad.

And given what the Broncos gave up for Henley, it wouldn't surprise if they extended him at some point. This is a good move by the Broncos.

The Broncos get linebacker depth for basically a fifth-rounder, due to JFM netting them a fourth-round comp pick. Henley is likely a future replacement for Singleton.