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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Chris Kuper (73) gestures while sitting on the bench during the fourth quarter against the San Diego Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium. (Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports)

And the 2012 Ed Block Courage Award goes to Denver Broncos offensive guard Chris Kuper.

Every year, the award honors NFL players who display commitments to the principles of sportsmanship and courage. Recipients are selected by their teammates. No one has shown more courage and positivity through injury after injury in the past year than Kuper.

Kuper suffered a fractured/dislocated ankle at the end of last season against the Kansas City Chiefs, and then fractured his forearm during training camp. Nevertheless, he was named an offensive captain by his teammates and was selected as a second Pro Bowl alternate after playing in seven games for the Broncos in 2012.

Drafted by the Broncos in the 5th round of the 2006 draft out of the University of North Dakota, Kuper has been the team’s starting right guard for the last five seasons, allowing just 12 sacks in 78 career starts.

The Ed Block Courage Award is named in honor of Ed Block who was the longtime head athletic trainer of the Baltimore Colts. He was a well respected humanitarian and a pioneer in his profession.

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Knowshon Moreno (27) jumps over Oakland Raiders outside linebacker Philip Wheeler (52) during the third quarter at O.co Coliseum. The Broncos defeated the Raiders 26-13. (Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports)

It was the Tweet heard round Broncos’ Country Thursday morning.

G Chris Kuper as been downgraded to questionable for tonight’s game with an ankle injury. He was previously listed as probable. – Denver Broncos (Twitter)

As it turned out, Manny Ramirez filled in for Kuper at right guard.

“He had a little bit of soft tissue work during the week,” John Fox said of Kuper after the game. “I think he broke down some scar tissue in his ankle. It was a little bit sore for him. In the short week, I think maybe if it was a Sunday game we were talking about rather than a Thursday night game, he could have been ready. We expect him to improve moving forward.”

Kuper’s absence was definitely felt Thursday night as Peyton Manning was sacked three times in the first half of the Broncos’ 26-13 win over the Oakland Raiders.

Mike Mitchell, Lamaar Houston, and Desmond Bryant all got their mitts on the guy who threw completion No. 5,000 the same night. Throw in an extra quarterback hit, six tackles for a loss, and a short handed interception that was effected by pressure from the defensive line, and Manning didn’t have one of his best nights simply because of protection breakdowns.

Luckily the second half was a different story for the storied quarterback. He finished 26-for-36 (72.2%) for 310 yards with one touchdown and one interception.

The offensive line also helped Knowshon Moreno rush for 119 yards on 32 carries. Perhaps the most overlooked play was when center Dan Koppen gave Moreno a healthy shove into the end zone when the Broncos were at the 1-yard line in the third quarter. Just like that, all Raider hope was lost as it became a 23-7 ball game.

Kuper will likely be back in time for the Broncos next game against the Baltimore Ravens.

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