Denver Broncos have a mixed history of first-round WRs
No.1: Demaryius Thomas, Georgia Tech, 2010
Demaryius Thomas is far and away the best first-round wide receiver pick in Broncos history as he is one of the best wide receivers overall in team history.
Chosen with the No. 22 overall pick in 2010, Thomas went on to star for the Broncos for nine seasons, climbing the team’s record books in the process. In terms of wide receivers, he trails only Rod Smith in pretty much every major statistical category.
Thomas was the first wide receiver taken in 2010 as the Broncos chose him two spots ahead of where Dez Bryant, a much higher-touted wide receiver, was taken.
He was named to five straight Pro Bowls while with the team while catching 665 passes for 9,055 yards and 60 touchdowns.
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He also had a slow start to his career but when the Broncos brought Manning aboard in 2012, it jumpstarted the career of Thomas. He had 94 receptions in 2012 before eclipsing 100 receptions in each of the following two seasons.
He had at least 1,300 yards receiving in each of Manning’s four seasons with the team as he was considered one of the overall best and most consistent receivers in football. He also caught Manning’s record-breaking touchdown pass No. 509 on Sunday Night Football against the San Francisco 49ers in 2014.
Sadly, the team traded him to the Houston Texans in the middle of the 2018 season. He has also had stops with the New England Patriots and New York Jets, but he will always be a Bronco and hopefully, he can retire as a member of the team, even if he just signs a one-day contract to do so.