Denver Broncos all-time team and 29-player lineup

CLEVELAND, OH - JANUARY 11: Quarterback John Elway #7 of the Denver Broncos, his uniform partially covered with mud, scrambles during the AFC Championship Game against the Cleveland Browns at Municipal Stadium on January 11, 1987 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Broncos defeated the Browns 23-20. (Photo by George Gojkovich/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH - JANUARY 11: Quarterback John Elway #7 of the Denver Broncos, his uniform partially covered with mud, scrambles during the AFC Championship Game against the Cleveland Browns at Municipal Stadium on January 11, 1987 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Broncos defeated the Browns 23-20. (Photo by George Gojkovich/Getty Images)
23 of 30
NEW ORLEANS, LA – JANUARY 15: Running back Preston Pearson #26 of the Dallas Cowboys runs into Louis Wright #20 of the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XI at the Superdome on January 15, 1978 in New Orleans, Lousiana. The Cowboys defeated the Broncos 27-10. (Photo by Nate Fine/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LA – JANUARY 15: Running back Preston Pearson #26 of the Dallas Cowboys runs into Louis Wright #20 of the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XI at the Superdome on January 15, 1978 in New Orleans, Lousiana. The Cowboys defeated the Broncos 27-10. (Photo by Nate Fine/Getty Images)

CB: Louis Wright

One of the corner spots goes to Louis Wright, a tremendous cornerback during the team’s “Orange Crush” defense days.

Wright spent his entire 12-year career with the Broncos after being chosen with the No. 17 overall pick of the 1975 NFL draft. He was the definition of a “shutdown corner” and though some will look at his low career interception number (26) and think he wasn’t that great, people who remember watching him play know that number is not very high simply because teams did not want to throw against that side of the field.

Wright made five Pro Bowls and was named a First-Team All-Pro four times. In addition, he was named to the NFL’s All-Decade Team for the 1970s and when you consider that the other names on that list are Willie Brown, Jimmy Johnson, and Roger Wehrli, then you know how good Wright was. Wright is the only one of those guys who has not been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and that is just crazy.

Wright helped the team reach its first Super Bowl and is one of the best cornerbacks in Broncos history. He was inducted into the team’s Ring of Fame in 1993 and deserves even more for the career he put together.

— Travis Wakeman

Schedule