Broncos, Saints swap early-round draft picks in deal for Sean Payton

The Denver Broncos and New Orleans Saints have made a blockbuster trade for the rights to head coach Sean Payton

Sean Payton is set to be the next head coach of the Denver Broncos, and the New Orleans Saints will be paid handsomely for letting him out of his current contract with the team.

Denver’s first-round pick in the 2023 NFL draft, as well as their second-rounder next year, will be going to the Saints in return for Payton’s rights and a third-round pick in 2024, per multiple reports.

That first-round pick in this year’s draft originally belonged to the San Francisco 49ers, and will be No. 29 overall. New Orleans is the fourth different team to own that pick now, after the 49ers traded it to the Miami Dolphins in the Trey Lance deal, who then sent it to Denver for Bradley Chubb.

Payton now gets the chance to help Russell Wilson and the Broncos rebound from a shockingly disappointing 2022 season, while the Saints get some much-needed draft capital to help their rebuild.

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