Fans look at busts at the Pro Football Hall of Fame before the 2012 enshrinement at Fawcett Stadium. (Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports)

Over the past few months we have been dissecting the NFL Draft through mocks, film highlights, lists of teams’ needs, worrying about the non-existent love interests of some players and the off-the-field antics of others. We have been breaking down the combine and why player ‘A’ is a better value than player ‘B’ because his 40-yard dash time is .00005 seconds faster. It has been a whirlwind few months which have proceeded the Super Bowl. So what I want to do is rather than try to guess which one of the Denver Broncos’ 2013 draft picks are going to have a Hall of Fame career, is focus on which Broncos of the past DID have a Hall of Fame career and have been shut out to this point. In this first of several articles, I will focus on the anchor of the Orange Crush defenses of the 70′s and early 80′s: Randy Gradishar.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, OH houses the long history of this great game. It houses the busts of the men who are the very best to have thrown their bodies around the gridiron for our entertainment and amusement. Many of these men left it all on the field and all they have to show for it are the aches and pains brought on by years of Sundays of car crash-like collisions. And all for the love of the game. Some were lucky enough to have played in an era where their efforts were well compensated. Then there are the scant few whose preparation intersected with opportunity and led them to the HOF, or at least in the discussion. This is where I will do my part to convert the discussion to fruition. That is because there are several voids in those hallowed halls. Many of which left by the other 31 teams’ greats getting jilted, but I am going to focus on our greatest Broncos who have been incomprehensibly overlooked.

Randy Gradishar was drafted in the first round, 14th overall in the 1974 draft by then Denver Broncos head coach, John Ralston. He was a three year starter for Woody Hayes at The Ohio State University. There he earned consensus All-American selection in 1972 and unanimous All-American selection in 1973. His 320 tackles while at OSU still ranks 9th in school history. Also, the 1973 defense which he anchored allowed a paltry 64 points…ALL SEASON! He would go onto finish 6th in the 1973 Heisman Trophy voting. Coach Hayes said that Gradishar was:

“The best linebacker I ever coached!”

Halfway through his rookie season, Gradishar was installed as one of the starting middle linebackers. In 1975 he made his first of seven Pro-Bowl appearances. He was centerpiece, captain, and best player on the #9 all time best linebacking corps according to NFL Networks’ Top 1o series. He was a two time 1st team NFL All-Pro selection and the Defensive Player of the Year in 1978. Gradishar finished his career with 20.5 sacks, 20 interceptions, 13 fumble recoveries, and 4 defensive touchdowns. His 2049 career tackles ranked #1 all time when he retired after the 1983 season. Randy’s impact is not only supported by his statistics, but by his peers and those who know the game.

“His range separated him from others at his position. A sure and determined tackler, he was also an excellent pass defender. He had special qualities in terms of intelligence, preparation and athletic ability. His “play anticipation” was the best in football. He had a great ability to square his body into the ball carrier at the moment of impact; which made him an incredible performer on third or fourth and short.” said the late, great Steve Sabol of NFL Films.

One of Gradishar’s contemporaries and great linebacker in his own right, Matt Millen had this to say:

“Randy Gradishar was one of the most productive players I’ve watched. He was always around the ball, rarely out of position, and constantly making plays. Linebackers are difficult to evaluate because there is a lack of statistics. But someone like a Randy Gradishar was easy to judge because of what he produced.”

Hall of Fame defensive lineman, Dan Hampton remembers asking Walter Payton (also a HOF’er and in my estimation, the greatest running back the game has ever seen):

“Walter, who gave you the hardest hit you ever took in the NFL?” Payton’s response, “Randy Gradishar, 1978″, said Hampton.

In January of 2008, Pro Football Weekly (Vol 22, Issue 29) named Gradishar to the “All 3-4 Defensive Team” along with Harry Carson, Lawrence Taylor, Andre Tippett, Howie Long, Lee Roy Selmon, and Curley Culp. All of the aforementioned have their busts proudly displayed in Canton except Culp…and his will be displayed as of this coming August. So how is it that a man that belongs in such distinguished company can be the only one not elected to the Hall of Fame? Your guess is as good as mine. If Gradishar is to take is rightful place in Canton along side all the other greats of pro football, it will have to be via the Veteran’s Committee. So in case some of them need to have this debate simplified as to make their decisions easier, I have put together a side-by-side comparison with two of Gradishar’s teammates on the “All 3-4 Defensive Team” (Carson and Tippett) and Class of 2011 inductee, Chris Hanburger.

The bottom line is, you can stack Randy Gradishar’s numbers against any of his peers at the linebacker position and there is only one conclusion to be drawn. Those of us who reside on Broncos Planet should be converging on Canton sooner rather than later to cheer on their Orange Crush hero one last time as he is rightfully enshrined and his amazing career reaches its pinnacle.

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The wait is finally over. The much anticipated 2012 NFL Draft begins this Thursday night, and the NFL will once again reign supreme over the sporting world. Months and months of media speculation and debate will be rendered moot once the draft begins and chaos ensues. It is a very unique event and it has become the spectacle of the NFL offseason.

In honor of the occasion, here is a list of The Top 10 Denver Broncos’ draft picks of all-time:

Denver Broncos linebacker Karl Mecklenburg (77) plays during Super Bowl XXI. (Credit: Manny Rubio-US PRESSWIRE)

10) Karl Mecklenburg, LB

Drafted: 1983 – 12th Round

Mecklenburg played his entire 12-year career in Denver where he was elected to the Pro Bowl 6 times. He was on 3 AFC Championship teams and played in 180 regular season games. He finished his career with 79.0 sacks, 1104 tackles, and 16 forced fumbles.

9) Tom Jackson, LB

Drafted: 1973 – 4th Round

Jackson is well known around the NFL due to his work covering the league for ESPN, but prior to that he was a stalwart for the Denver defense throughout 14 seasons from 1973 to 1986. He won 2 AFC championships while wearing the Orange and Blue, played in 191 games, and was a 3-time Pro Bowler.

8 ) Louis Wright, CB

Drafted: 1975 – 1st Round

Wright was the best cornerback ever to suit up for the Broncos prior to Champ Bailey coming to town. He anchored the defensive backfield during his 12-year stint in Denver that included 2 trips to the Super Bowl and 5 Pro Bowl appearances.

7) Billy Thompson, CB/S/PR

Drafted: 1969 – 3rd Round

Thompson played 13 seasons in Denver and went to the Pro Bowl 3 times. He played in 179 games, returned 203 kicks, and played in the Super Bowl following the 1977 season.

Denver Broncos safety Steve Atwater forces a fumble during Super Bowl XXXII (Credit: US Presswire)

6) Steve Atwater, S

Drafted: 1989 – 1st Round

Atwater is known as one of the fiercest hitters ever to play the game. He was elected to a staggering 8 Pro Bowls during his 11-year career, 10 of which were for the Broncos. Atwater played in 3 Super Bowls with Denver, winning 2, and he had one of his best games as a pro in Super Bowl 32.

5) Dennis Smith, S

Drafted: 1981 – 1st Round

Dennis Smith was a nasty hitter himself and helped mentor Steve Atwater when they played together later in his career. He played in 3 Super Bowls and 6 Pro Bowls during his stellar 14-year career with the Broncos. He finished with 1,152 tackles and 30 interceptions.

4) Floyd Little, RB

Drafted: 1967 – 1st Round

Finally an offensive player appears on this list! Floyd Little was simply known as “The Franchise” during his 9-year career for the Broncos that spanned from 1967 to 1975. Little led the AFL in rushing for six straight seasons and was a member of the inaugural Broncos Ring of Fame class in 1984. He played in 5 Pro Bowls, amassed 6323 rushing yards and 52 touchdowns, and he was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2010.

3) Randy Gradishar, LB

Drafted: 1974 – 1st Round

Gradishar made 7 Pro Bowl appearances during his 10-year career that included a trip to the Super Bowl following the 1977 season. He won the 1978 Defensive Player of the Year award and is considered by many to be the greatest Broncos’ defender ever to play. He finished his career with an astonishing 2,049 tackles which was an NFL record at the time. If he wouldn’t have retired sooner than expected he almost certainly would be in the Hall of Fame today. As it stands now, Gradishar has been nominated several times and was a finalist twice, but has yet to hear his name called by the Hall.

Denver Broncos running back Terrell Davis runs the ball during Super Bowl XXXIII. (Credit: Us Presswire)

2) Terrell Davis, RB

Drafted: 1995 – 6th Round

Some may consider this a tad high for a player who managed only 7 seasons during his entire NFL career, but no player in NFL history has accomplished more in less time than Terrell Davis. Davis was the missing piece to a championship puzzle that took the Broncos organization 38 years to put together. He finished with 7,607 rushing yards, 65 total touchdowns, an NFL Most Valuable Player award, a Super Bowl MVP trophy and 2 Super Bowl rings. Davis is one of only 6 players in the history of the game to have a 2,000-yard rushing season, and he holds an NFL playoff record with 7 consecutive games of 100-yards rushing. Terrell Davis belongs in the Hall of Fame.

Denver Bronco Shannon Sharpe poses with his bust at the Pro Football Hall of Fame. (Credit: Rick Osentoski-US PRESSWIRE)

1) Shannon Sharpe, TE

Drafted: 1990 – 7th Round

The top spot on this list goes to Pro Football Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe. He played 12 of his 14 years with the Denver Broncos and was pivotal during their run to back-to-back Super Bowl Championships in 1997 and 1998. When Sharpe retired he held NFL records for a tight end in regards to receptions, yards, and touchdowns. There is really no need to say much more than that.

Make sure to follow @MileHighMonday on Twitter so we can chat live during the draft!

Randy Gradishar, a key contributor to the Orange Crush defense, helped lead the Broncos to Super Bowl XII. Unfortunately, the Broncos lost 27-10. (Malcom Emmons - US Presswire)

While most of us were enjoying our weekend, ex-Bronco linebacker Randy Gradishar was hopefully celebrating his 60th birthday (March 3, 1952)!  Happy belated birthday Randy from Broncos fans everywhere!  To celebrate Randy’s six decades of life, below is a brief look back at his football career.

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