Chris Kuper was a late-round find in 2006 for the Denver Broncos (Photo Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports).

Well, we’ve all made it.  We’ve crawled into that dark sports cave, full from the Super Bowl, ready for the long nap between the end of the NFL season and the promise of the blossoming talent that comes from the NFL Draft.  Maybe you’ve survived off March Madness, foraged off April baseball, or even scraped through the snow to find some semblance of sustenance in hockey, God help you.

If hope springs eternal, teams eternally hope that their choices, strategies, and luck leave them with talent that will change the course of their franchise.  An ill-advised move can leave teams scrambling for years, while the right ones will generate a decade-long buzz about the genius of the front office and the tale of the player their team was savvy enough to obtain.

For the Denver Broncos, recent drafts have produced a buzz for sure, sometimes for all the right reasons, sometimes for all the head-scratching ones.  We see you, Tim Tebow.

While you continue to ponder the 2010 Draft and look forward to Thursday’ s first round, here is a round-by-round list of the best draft picks in Broncos’ history.

First Round: Randy Gradishar, LB, 1974 – Perhaps Gradishar is keeping this seat warm for Von Miller.  That, of course, is to be determined.  The Broncos are a bit dichotomous when it comes to first-round picks.  They have always seemed to draft solid, immediate impact type of players, but rarely land the blockbuster.  Chalk it up to being mostly competitive as a franchise, rarely drafting in the top ten spots, and to being very judicious in their evaluation of players.  In a sense, Gradishar is representative of the team’s first-round history.  Gradishar spent his entire nine-season career with the Broncos, playing in each and every one of the 145 games with the team.  He is the franchise leader with over 2,000 tackles, highlighted by his Defensive MVP season in 1978 when he logged a simply absurd 286 tackles.  Granted the game is more aerial-based in the 21st century, but for perspective, tackling machine Wesley Woodyard had 117 in 2012…and he was flying to the ball.  This is the very definition of a successful first-round pick.

Honorable Mention: Steve Atwater, S, 1989

Second Round: Clinton Portis, RB, 2002 – Talk about changing the landscape of a franchise.  Not only was Portis a very solid back for the Broncos, producing over 3,000 yards in his two seasons with the team, but his most solid contribution was to be the trade chip for Champ Bailey.  Not to take anything away from Portis’ career, but the Broncos most certainly won this trade with the Washington Redskins.  Since that trade, Bailey has made the Pro Bowl in eight of his nine seasons with the Broncos.  In terms of the draft, Portis was a second-round pick, while Bailey was no. 7 overall in 1999, effectively giving the Broncos another first-rounder when the trade was made in 2004.

Honorable Mention: Simon Fletcher, LB, 1985

Third Round: Jason Elam, K, 1993 – A kicker?  Seriously?  Yes.  The Broncos have had a surprisingly underwhelming history in the third round, but when your team doesn’t have to worry about any kind of field goal debacles for over a decade, you’ve found yourself a wise third-round pick.  Ask the 2011 Ravens if they would spend a third-round pick on this type of insurance policy.  On the flip-side, if you’re a kicker drafted with in the third round, you’d better deliver.  Elam tied the longest field goal in NFL history, is seventh all-time in field goals made, and is the Broncos’ franchise scoring and field goal percentage leader.

Honorable Mention: Bill Thompson, DB, 1969

Fourth Round: Tom Jackson, LB, 1973 – In the age of offensive dominance and an era where quarterback is key, it’s hard to believe that a name that made the Broncos famous was on the opposite side of the ball.  Jackson, Gradishar, and nine others would form one of the best defenses in football.  The “Orange Crush” keyed three consecutive playoff appearances in the late-70′s and for all purposes is the genesis of the loyal Broncos’ fan-base.  Jackson was a Pro Bowl player in those playoff years and would go on to become No. 3 on the list of games played for the club and a Ring of Fame inductee.

Honorable Mention: Rick Upchurch, WR, 1975

Fifth Round: Chris Kuper, G, 2006 – Kuper wasn’t even projected to be selected prior to the 2006 Draft, so when the Broncos took out a flier, much was expected out of the rookie from North Dakota.  What a pleasant surprise!  Kuper’s resume likely isn’t going to include many trips to the Pro Bowl and certainly won’t culminate with a bust in Canton, but Kuper’s leadership has shored up one of the most stout offensive lines in football.  A three-year team captain and now the second longest-tenured Broncos player, Kuper has only allowed 12 sacks as a starter for the team.  Like the third round, the fifth has been a particular weak spot in terms of the history of the draft, but Kuper’s steady presence and leadership on the field allows him to be the only active player to make this list.

Honorable Mention: Sammy Winder, RB, 1982

Sixth Round: Terrell Davis, RB, 1995 – Just your average, run-of-the-mill no-doubter.  But when your presence pretty much seals up two Super Bowl rings and you contribute a 2,000-yard, MVP season, it doesn’t really matter where you were drafted…you’re making this list.  Despite only playing about five full seasons worth of games, Davis’ legend is firmly planted in Denver Broncos’ lore for being the perfect complimentary piece for John Elway to win a Super Bowl.   The chances of not ending up in the Hall of Fame fall between possible and likely, but the legend of Terrell Davis and his contributions as a sixth-round draft pick make him one of the picks of any NFL team.

Honorable Mention: Mark Jackson, WR, 1986

Seventh Round: Shannon Sharpe, TE, 1990 – The cool tight end before tight ends were cool.  Nobody at that forgotten position had as much swagger, was as boisterous, as entertaining, and as dominant as Sharpe.  For a seventh-round pick to redefine, or at least reset the bar for what an entire position could achieve is virtually unheard of.  With eight Pro Bowls, three Super Bowl rings, 10,000+ receiving yards on his resume, Sharpe was welcomed into the Hall of Fame in 2011 solidifying himself as the best seventh-round pick for the Broncos, and perhaps the best last-round selection in NFL history.  Not bad for

Honorable Mention: Tom Nalen, C, 1994

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The Broncos could be eyeing Alabama DT Jesse Williams with the 28th pick in the 2013 NFL Draft (Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports).

With the scouts pouring over the details of the prospects at the Senior Bowl, now is a great time for a 2013 Mock Draft.  Last year’s class made it easy to predict how things were going to shake out because of the strongest quarterback class of a generation.  The 2013 draft is much more up in the air, as is the Broncos‘ first-round pick.  Last year, fans could set their watch to “defensive tackle,” and then got one in Derek Wolfe (though not until the second round), but 2013′s first-round pick could go to the offense as easily as it could the defense.  Have a look into the crystal ball:

1. Kansas City Chiefs – Luke Joeckel, OT, Texas A&M

A Chiefs-drafted quarterback hasn’t won this franchise a game since Todd Blackledge in 1983.  No way this changes with Geno Smith, right?  They’ve still got to address that offense somehow.

2. Jacksonville Jaguars – Bjoern Werner, DE, Florida State

3. Oakland Raiders – Jarvis Jones, LB, Georgia

4. Philadelphia Eagles – Chance Warmack, OG, Alabama

Philadelphia Eagles sacks allowed in 2012: 48.  Oregon Ducks sacks allowed in 2012: 19.  Not apples to apples, but a blur offense starts with its line.

5. Detroit Lions – Dee Milliner, CB, Alabama

He won’t save their 2012 season, but he just might save 2013.

6. Cleveland Browns – Damontre Moore, DE, Texas A&M

7. Arizona Cardinals – Eric Fisher, OT, Central Michigan

The Cardinals’ quarterback play was terrible, their offensive line play was a Stephen King novel.  Arizona needs to address the former with a proven winner and use that top-10 pick where it counts most.

8. Buffalo Bills – Geno Smith, QB, West Virginia

9. New York Jets – Barkevious Mingo, DE, LSU

10. Tennessee Titans – Star Lotulelei, DT, Utah

11. San Diego Chargers – Jonathan Cooper, OG, North Carolina

12. Miami Dolphins – Xavier Rhodes, CB, Florida State

13. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Johnthon Banks, CB, Mississippi St.

14. Carolina Panthers – Cordarrelle Patterson, WR, Tennessee

15. New Orleans Saints – Dion Jordan, OLB, Oregon

Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning shows his disappointment after the AFC divisional round playoff game against the Baltimore Ravens at Sports Authority Field at Mile High (Photo Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports).

It was a wild game out west.  One that needed more than five quarters to decide, making this the 4th longest game in NFL history.  The AFC Divisional Playoff game was as entertaining as it was counter to conventional wisdom of how the game was expected to go.  For the Denver Broncos and their sensational quarterback, it’ll have to be next year.

Ultimately it was Broncos who were done in by their mistakes.  The team had struggled with turnovers all season, but no one clad in orange expected it to be Peyton Manning‘s ill-advised throw back across the field late in the first overtime period that would be the dagger and the play to set up rookie kicker Justin Tucker‘s game winning kick for the Baltimore Ravens.

The mistakes weren’t just on Manning, nor on were they limited to the Broncos.

John Harbaugh‘s touted Ravens’ special teams had no answer for Denver Broncos’ electrifying return man Trindon Holliday, two successful ground games were largely unable to establish any consistency as temperatures hovered in the teens with a sub-zero windchill, and future Hall-of-Fame cornerback Champ Bailey was beaten for two Torrey Smith touchdown receptions.

Not exactly how it was supposed to go down, and the Broncos know they missed an opportunity to move on to the AFC Championship game.

“I’m not surprised that we lost,” said Bailey, “that’s a good football team.  I’m surprised at how easy we made it for them.”

Denver’s vaunted secondary had not allowed a 300-yard passer all season until allowing Joe Flacco to do what Flacco does best — go up top.  Touchdown passes of 59, 32, and 70 yards overwhelmed a secondary that was roughed up all afternoon.  Bailey was the victim of the first two touchdowns, one coming with just 43 seconds left in the half.

The real blunder though, would come at the end of the regulation.  The Ravens were fighting the clock with no timeouts and 1:09 left, the Ravens brought their ball to their own 30.  Ravens’ kick returner/wide receiver Jacoby Jones ran a vertical route down the far sideline.  Broncos’ cornerback Tony Carter released him to safety Rahim Moore who badly misplayed the towering bomb from Flacco.  Moore whiffed on the ball allowing Jones to make an easy touchdown grab.

“It’s completely my fault,” Moore lamented.  “I apologize to the all the fans, the people who love the Denver Broncos.  This isn’t what they desired.”

The Broncos were given huge lifts on their first touches of each half when Holliday became the first player in NFL history to return a punt and a kickoff for a touchdown.  His 90-yard punt return in the first quarter opened the scoring for the Broncos, followed by his 104-yard kickoff return for a score at the start of the second half.  Both were NFL record in length; both saw Holliday scampering untouched as he made his way to pay dirt.

It was a good thing for the Broncos, too.  Peyton Manning and the Broncos offense looked uncharacteristically out of sync for good portions of the game.  Both the running game and the passing game ended up with far fewer yards per attempt than their regular season averages.  Similarly, the swarming Denver defense did not record a sack of Flacco until overtime after leading the league in sacks over the regular season.

Yet both teams were able to overcome mistakes and adversity to exchange blows reminiscent of playoff games in the late 80′s and early 90′s, an era in which it was John Elway under center.  So many times Broncos fans witnessed a game that wouldn’t be decided until the final snap.  Such was the case on this afternoon.  It just didn’t have the Mile High Miracle feel at the end.

After the Holliday return for Denver, Smith’s long touchdown reception and Corey Graham‘s 39-yard interception return of a tipped Manning pass, the Broncos were trailing for the first time since week 13 against Tampa Bay.  Manning and the Broncos were content to settle for short to intermediate and do what they’ve done the entire season — methodically move the ball down the field.

As Manning spread the ball around to his receivers (28 receptions to 9 different Broncos), two wonderful over-the-shoulder grabs buoyed the offense.  One went to Brandon Stokley who’s catch in a tight window brought back memories of his go-ahead grab against Chargers in week 6, and one to Knowshon Moreno who beat the mismatched coverage by Ravens linebacker Dannelle Ellerbe by running a beautiful stop-and-go route to haul in the Manning strike.

The Broncos defense had their most impressive stand of the game forcing a three-and-out, and it looked like the Broncos were going to add to their 21-14 advantage.  While by far not the deciding factor in the game, Matt Prater‘s foot hit the ground well before striking the ball.  No doubt he was trying to put a little extra leg into a long field goal with a rock solid ball in cold conditions, but the ball fell well short.  Not only did it fail to add to the lead, but it gave the Ravens a short field with 1:10 left in the half.

Again, the Denver secondary was taken advantage of with Flacco’s streaking wideouts.  Flacco lofted an under-thrown pass to Smith toward the endzone who adjusted perfectly and again beat Bailey by going up for the grab.

A potential lead at halftime quickly became a 21-21 tie.

The freezing temperatures appeared to cost many fans the opportunity put the buzz back into the stadium, as many lingering on the concourses trying to stay warm missed Holliday’s second half kickoff return for a score.

Both team exchanged touchdowns, blunders, and defensive stops in for the rest of the third quarter.  Flacco’s had a bad snap exchange with his center was recovered by veteran linebacker Keith Brooking, while Manning lost a fumble late in the quarter to set up Baltimore’s equalizer — a Ray Rice 1-yard run.

Until the fourth quarter, the Broncos receivers had been finding plenty of open space in the Baltimore zone, but were having a hard time finding open space to accelerate.  That’s when offensive coordinator Mike McCoy went to his old bag of tricks — a screen pass to Demaryius Thomas who stepped out of a tackle and broke to the endzone for the go-ahead score.  Broncos Country had to believe this was the game-winner, especially after the Ravens unsuccessfully converted on fourth-down on the ensuing drive.

The Ravens, expecting run and getting it, were able to stop the clock and force a Broncos punt.  After scrambling out of trouble for 7 yards, Flacco heaved his homerun ball in Jones’ direction.  Moore misplayed the ball thinking he could deflect the pass.  Instead it was the fifth tie of the contest.  What appeared to be a certain Broncos’ win, quickly turned into an overtime that was just as highly contested as regulation.

Broncos wide receiver Brandon Stokley took some of the blame off Moore’s play saying after the game, “It’s not his fault at all. That’s just one play in a long game. As an offense, we had a chance to put the game away and we didn’t do it.”

Baltimore won the toss and elected to receive to begin the additional period.  Neither team was able to move the ball effectively, as  the teams swapped punts before it looked as if Denver cornerback Chris Harris was about to do it to Flacco again.  On third-and-three from their own 34, Harris made a diving attempt at a pass intended for Anquan Boldin on a crossing route.  Harris was able to put both hands on the ball before falling to the turf and losing control.  It would have been a sensational grab, instead it adds to the list of missed chances in a hard-fought game.

The Ravens defense, however, was finally able to capitalize.  With the Broncos driving, Manning was flushed from the pocket to his right, threw back across the field, and was intercepted once again by Graham.  Manning had gotten away with this type of throw earlier in the season, but that was to a wide open Stokely in the endzone.

“That’s the old ‘rule number one’ you never do,” Manning said after that completion.  This time, though, the Broncos would pay the price.

One quick 11-yard burst up the middle by Rice, and the game-winning field goal was set up for the Ravens and Tucker, who would drill a no-doubter from 47-yards out, sending the Broncos to their most bitter defeat since their shocking loss to the Jaguars in the 1996 divisional game.  That one will be remembered for its ambush feel.  This one will be remembered as the one that got away.

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