The Broncos traded a first-round NFL draft pick to acquire a dynamic wide receiver capable of transforming their offense in 2026.

But who, exactly, is Jaylen Waddle?

“He’s just a big-hearted kid,” said Steve Leisz, the former head football coach at Episcopal High School in Houston, who mentored Waddle’s transformation from a scrawny freshman to a nationally coveted college football recruit.

Yet it’s equally apparent, from the very beginning, that he was a special athlete. Need an example? Waddle also starred in basketball at EHS. Leisz described a highlight play that repeats in his memory.

“His sophomore year, at 5-foot-nothing, he did a 360-slam dunk,” Leisz said. “The whole gym was just in awe of watching this happen. You really saw his athleticism and how he was different from everybody else.”

The Broncos will open training camp in July with Waddle as potentially the No. 1 passing target for quarterback Bo Nix. Not that Waddle cares. He told reporters in his introductory news conference: “I don’t think there are No. 1s. Everyone is here to make plays and try to win.”

Leisz is not shocked by the apparent lack of bravado that can sometimes define elite NFL receivers. Waddle lets his work — three 1,000-yard receiving seasons over five years — speak for itself. His former high school coach is reminded of a conversation during Waddle’s freshman season playing college football.

“The special teams coordinator at Alabama called me,” Leisz told The Denver Gazette. “He said: ‘Will you please talk to Jaylen and tell him to stop working out after our workouts? Because we do enough in our workouts. It’s scientific. We don’t need him to overdo it.’

“And that’s Jaylen.”

‘Just great human beings‘

The Alabama football signing class in 2018 was ranked No. 6 in the nation, per ESPN, with Waddle and cornerback Pat Surtain among the top recruits. It’s now a storybook reunion with the Broncos.

“He was one of the first calls that I made,” Waddle told reporters after being traded.

Surtain, on a recent Games with Names podcast episode, said: “It sort of takes me back in time to where it’s those hot days in Tuscaloosa. Those hot practices where we’re going one-on-one against each other.”

Offensive lineman Tommy Brown was another member of the 2018 signing class at Alabama. Sound familiar? Brown transferred to Colorado in 2022 and became the first college football player in the country with an NIL deal from an underwear brand.

Brown reflected on his freshman year memories at Alabama with Surtain and Waddle.

“It seemed like we always had the guys over at our dorm,” Brown told The Denver Gazette. “Pat and Jaylen were basically my roommates, too, with that freshman class. We were really close and had a great group chat. … Jaylen and Pat are some of the best guys I ever played with. Just great human beings.”

The Waddle-Surtain practice matchups were legendary. Brown would often hear a roar from the opposite side of the field as wide receiver and cornerback one-on-one drills took place. He learned what happened later during team film review sessions led by ex-coach Nick Saban.

“There were a lot of Pat and Jaylen on those good, bad and ugly tapes,” Brown said. “It’s pretty incredible how they handle themselves. I know for O-line and D-line, feelings would trickle over off the field from the on-the-field stuff. But with Pat and Jaylen, it seemed like they flipped the switch — and they were best buddies again.

“They can crack jokes with the best of them.”

But it’s clear the duo thrives on competition as part of their bond. Last week, Waddle responded to a question posted on X (formerly Twitter) about a possible opponent in a boxing match.

Waddle said: “Pat Surtain, I would beat the (expletive) out of him.”

Surtain shot back on social media: “Got a little bit too much dip on your chip.”

Waddle didn’t back down after signing with the Broncos. He joked: “I still stand on what I said about Pat.” The beef continues.

“Some of the funniest guys I’ve ever met in my life,” Brown said.

‘I hated to see him leave‘

Mark Clayton played 142 games at wide receiver for the Dolphins (1983-92) and holds franchise records for career receptions (550) and receiving touchdowns (81). His take on Miami trading Waddle to Denver?

“I hated to see him leave,” Clayton told The Denver Gazette. “A great receiver. A No. 1 receiver.”

Waddle runs a complete route tree at 5-foot-10 and 185 pounds. He instantly becomes the most dangerous vertical threat in Denver. But his make-you-miss ability in space will also make him an asset in the short passing game.

Clayton pointed to off-the-field reasons why the Broncos should be excited to add Waddle. He never became a distraction in Miami on a sometimes-dysfunctional Dolphins team.

“The kid’s character is impeccable. The nicest guy you’ll ever meet,” Clayton said. “I’m sure when (the Dolphins) made up their mind, that they were going to move on from him, that they really hated it. Because they know what he brought to that locker room. He was a very upstanding man based on the few times that I’ve had communication with him.”

Waddle showcased his character back in 2022 by establishing a friendship with 6-year-old cancer survivor Rocco Passaro. He spoke about their connection after being traded to Denver.

“I’m definitely going to get in the community and do something,” Waddle said. “I know (Surtain) is going to help me find different things to get into. I know he does a lot of good things out here. Rocco is definitely someone that is special. We have a special bond. I think that’s just going to continue (no matter) where I play at.”

Back in Houston, where it all began in high school, his former coach wasn’t surprised. Leisz remembers when the team hosted “Challenger Football” events for kids with special needs.

“They come out one night a year and we have a football game. We face paint and do all that. It’s a fun night. Wherever Jaylen is, he’ll have 10 kids around him,” Leisz said. “They just know that he’s such a loving individual that cares about them. They gravitate toward him. … That’s where he really shined.”