Who would be on the Denver Broncos All-Time team? The Predominantly Orange staff make our picks.
The Denver Broncos are one of the more successful teams since their establishment. In fact, they are tied for second with the Steelers and Cowboys for second-most Super Bowl appearance with eight.
They also have had some pretty phenomenal players in every decade of their existence. From Frank Tripucka to Mark Jackson to Tom Jackson among others, this is a team with a rich, deep history.
When creating this list of an All-Time Broncos team, the layout was as follows:
- One quarterback
- Two running backs, one fullback
- Three wide receivers
- One tight end
- Five offensive linemen
- Four defnsive linemen
- Three linebackers
- Three cornerbacks
- Two safeties
- A kicker and punter
- A kick returner and punt returner
Some of these choices were extremely easy, while some were not so much. It was a lot of fun discussing who we wanted to include on the list.
There were plenty of debates as to some of the selections, but we feel comfortable with the final results. So sit back and enjoy this list created by us at Predominantly Orange.
QB: John Elway
John Elway entered the National Football League with as much fanfare as any player before him and many since then.
Elway was a prodigy; big, strong, mobile, rocket for a right arm, and the desire to win. He led the Broncos to the playoffs during his rookie campaign, only the fourth time in the 24-year existence of the team. The Broncos continued to climb in the AFC, reaching the championship game in 1986 against the Cleveland Browns.
John Elway put the league on notice with a 98-yard drive to score the game-tying touchdown in the final seconds of regulation. This feat was known as, “the Drive”. Since then John Elway played in five Super Bowls with two victories and a Super Bowl MVP.
Though these records have been surpassed, when Elway retired, he finished his NFL career with the most victories started by an NFL quarterback, the second-most touchdowns and yards.
Along with those accomplishments, Elway also finished his career with:
• 1 NFL Most Valuable Player award
• 1992 Walter Payton Man of the Year Award
• 2 Super Bowl championships
• 9 Pro Bowl selections
• inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2004
For most of Broncos Country, John Elway is and will always be Mr. Bronco.
– Nicholas Manning
RB: Terrell Davis
In his career that ended too soon, Terrell Davis was an absolute force, and arguably the best running back that the Denver Broncos have ever had.
As a sixth-round pick, T.D. could be considered the biggest draft steal in franchise history.
In just seven seasons, Davis was a three-time Pro Bowler, two-time Super Bowl Champion, Super Bowl XXXII MVP, 1998 NFL MVP, 1996 and 1998 Offensive Player of the Year, 1996 and 1998 rushing TDs leader, 1996 AFC Player of the Year, 1998 NFL rush leader, and later on, was recognized on the All-Decade Team of the 1990s.
He was inducted into the Broncos Ring of Fame, and finally, in 2017, after 11 years of eligibility and debate over his shortened career, he was elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Davis’ speed and fearlessness on the field will forever be cherished by Broncos Country, and fans will always wonder what else could have been had Davis’ career not been cut short due to injury. Here’s a Mile High Salute to T.D., arguably the most underrated back of all-time.
— Shelby Manning
RB: Floyd Little
Floyd Little is one of the best running backs in Denver Broncos history. Little came from Syracuse University running back tree with Jim Brown and Ernie Banks. The Broncos running back was very productive throughout his career, collecting over 6,300 yards.
He was always slept on compared to other running backs. If Little had been with a more notable franchise like the Dallas Cowboys, then he might have been a Hall of Famer sooner.
Little did, in fact, join the Hall of Fame in 2010. One of his true hallmarks is All-Purpose yards. Along with the 6,300+ yards rushing, Little proved to be a very reliable threat in the passing game along with special teams.
The Broncos Hall of Famer had 10,000+ yards from just his receiving and in the return game. He led the entire NFL in rushing during the 1970 and 1971 campaign. Little was also the first 1,000-yard rusher in team history.
Little has been in the news recently due to his cancer diagnosis. Our prayers are with him and his family as he fights through this battle.
— Cameron Parker
FB: Howard Griffith
Howard Griffith was a ninth-round pick in the 1991 NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts, but didn’t make his NFL regular season debut until the 1993 season with the Los Angeles Rams.
After two seasons with the Rams, Griffith was selected in the eighth round of the 1995 expansion draft by the Carolina Panthers, the league’s newest franchise at the time.
It was in Carolina where Griffith established himself as a triple-threat from the fullback position — a blocker, receiver, and short-yardage runner.
After two seasons with the Panthers, Griffith became a member of the Denver Broncos where he played a critical role for four seasons as the fullback in Mika Shanahan’s offense.
Although he did a lot for the team in four seasons, Griffith’s claim to fame as a Bronco came in the 1997 playoffs, a road game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Griffith made an outstanding one-handed catch and scored a critical touchdown in the Broncos’ win over the Steelers en route to the Super Bowl.
He was a significant piece of the Broncos’ back-to-back Super Bowl run with 12 total touchdowns including playoff games.
— Sayre Bedinger
WR: Rod Smith
Rod Smith is the Broncos’ all-time leader in receptions (849), receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns. There is no question that he deserves the No. 1 receiver spot on this list.
Smith led the NFL in receptions in 2001 with 113. He eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards eight times on his way to a career that saw him go for over 11,000 receiving yards and 68 touchdowns.
Smith was especially great during the team’s late-90’s Super Bowl runs. He eclipsed 1,100 and 1,200 yards in 1997 and 1998 while the Broncos had a running back in Terrell Davis, who rushed for 1,750 and 2,008 yards during those two years.
Did I mention that Smith was undrafted? He became the first undrafted player to reach 10,000 receiving yards for his career.
Smith has not really been considered a Pro Football Hall of Famer since becoming eligible, but there should be arguments in favor of the selection.
— Graham Tiedtke
WR: Demaryius Thomas
Although he does not always receive the love he deserves, Demaryius Thomas is easily one of the best wideouts to ever wear the Broncos’ orange and blue.
After being the first receiver off of the board in the 2010 NFL Draft, Thomas made an immediate impact, but his rookie season was cut short by injury. Although injuries were something Thomas dealt with often throughout his time with the Broncos, he always gave 100% effort to get back onto the field.
Thomas ended his sophomore season by setting franchise records, leading the team in both receiving yards and targets. This is where perhaps his most famous TD in NFL history took place—his 80-yard score against the Steelers in the playoffs.
At 10 seconds, it was the quickest TD in NFL history.
When Peyton Manning arrived in Denver, his connection with DT was electric, and their chemistry was a huge factor in the historic offense of the 2013 season.
In his time with Denver, Thomas won Super Bowl 50 and broke or tied 16 franchise records, including single-season receiving yards, single-season receiving touchdowns, and career games with at least 100 yards. He is a sure-fire future Ring of Famer, and perhaps he will be a Bronco once more before he hangs up his cleats and retires.
— Shelby Manning
WR: Lionel Taylor
Lionel Taylor is one of the best players the NFL has ever seen, but most people don’t recognize his name. Originally drafted in 1959 by Chicago Bears as a linebacker Taylor came to the Denver Broncos in 1960. What a decision that was as Taylor caught 92 passes for 1,235 yards and 12 touchdowns.
At 6-2 and 215 pounds, Taylor was almost uncoverable and used his size and speed to dominate the league for almost a decade. Taylor was tops in the American Football League in receptions in four-of-eight seasons in Denver.
Taylor often found himself in the top 10 in receiving touchdowns, receiving yards, yards from scrimmage, and yards per game.
The “Flanker” retired after nine seasons, totaling 567 receptions for 7,195 yards and 45 touchdowns in a time where games were played on the ground.
As a four-time AFL All-Star, Taylor was named the Broncos’ MVP three times. Taylor’s stellar play earned him a place amongst Broncos lore in 1984.
He was named to the All-AFL team twice and two times a second-team All-Time AFL Second Team. Taylor was the first professional receiver to log more than 100 receptions in a season (1961). He is an AFL All-Time Second Team member.
— Nicholas Manning
TE: Shannon Sharpe
Shannon Sharpe was a vocal leader on a great Broncos team in the ’90s and again from 2002-2003. He was an 8-time Pro Bowler who helped the Broncos win their two Super Bowls in the ’90s, as well as being a part of the Baltimore Ravens’ Super Bowl team.
Sharpe finished the 1996 and 1998 seasons with ten or more touchdowns. He also topped 1,000 receiving yards three times in his career. In 1993, he came so close with 995.
Sharpe had a career catch rate of 65.7 percent, which included 1993 when he caught 81 of 110 targets (73.6 percent).
Sharpe retired as the NFL’s All-Time leader in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns for a tight end. He entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2009.
Easy choice for the tight end slot on this list.
— Graham Tiedtke
LT: Gary Zimmerman
The Denver Broncos offensive line in the mid-’90s was filled with bullies and mean, nasty linemen that controlled all phases. One of the anchors of the team was Gary Zimmerman at left tackle.
There are arguments for Ryan Clady to be chosen here, but due to the injury history, Zimmerman became the top choice at left tackle. Zimmerman helped anchor the left side of an offensive line, also helping the Broncos win a Super Bowl.
Zimmerman spent the first the first two years of his professional career with the Los Angeles Express before moving on to the Minnesota Vikings, where he made first-team All-Pro twice and the Pro Bowl three times but failed to win a Super Bowl.
With Denver, Zimmerman played five years, earning a Pro Bowl appearance in three straight years. He earned five first-team All-Pro selections, including one with the Broncos. Zimmerman was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2008 and was part of two all-decade teams (the 1980s and 1990s).
Zimmerman was inducted into the Ring of Fame in 2003. Zimmerman started 169 consecutive games and helped the Vikings be the top rushing team in 1991. That was one of the things that really started to make him known nationally.
With Denver, Zimmerman helped the team lead the league in total combined yards for three-straight seasons (1995, 1996 and 1997).
— Cameron Parker
LG: Keith Bishop
Keith Bishop was a sixth-round pick for the Denver Broncos in the 1980 NFL Draft, and he became a Bronco for life from that point forward.
A late bloomer of sorts, Bishop didn’t even start for the Broncos until his fourth season in the NFL.
In the 1986 and 1987 seasons, Bishop was named a 2nd-team All-Pro and was selected to his first and second Pro Bowls.
Bishop played in 129 career games for the Broncos through the 1980s, and found a home with the team in his post-playing days as the Vice President of Security with the team, a role he holds to this day.
Apparently, protecting for the orange and blue is in Keith Bishop’s blood.
— Sayre Bedinger
C: Tom Nalen
Without a doubt the best center in team history, Tom Nalen spent his entire 15-year career with the organization. During that time, he made five Pro Bowls and was named an All-Pro three other times. Most importantly, he was the man snapping the ball to John Elway during the team’s back-to-back Super Bowl runs.
He was the last player from those teams to leave the Broncos.
Nalen struggled with injuries in a few seasons but for the most part was a tough, hard-nosed player who brought consistency and 100 percent effort each time he stepped on the field. He was truly one of the best centers of his era, which isn’t bad for a seventh-round pick. He currently ranks third in team history with 194 games played.
Nalen was everything you would want in a center. Tough, gritty, and dependable. He was an excellent fit in Denver’s zone-blocking scheme and was a leader on and off the field. In 2013, he was chosen to be part of the team’s Ring of Fame, one of only two offensive linemen to earn that honor.
— Travis Wakeman
RG: Mark Schlereth
Much like Gary Zimmerman, Mark Schlereth helped anchor an offensive line that was at the top of their game during the 90s. Schlereth put a lockdown on the right guard spot for the six years he was with the franchise. Also like Zimmerman, Schlereth was part of the teams that led the league in total combined yards (1995, 1996 and 1997). His first year with the Broncos was in 1995.
Schlereth has become a household name in the Denver area. He is part of one of the largest-known radio stations in Colorado, called 104.3 The Fan. Schlereth has told numerous stories his time with the Broncos. One is how he received the nickname “Stink.” The rumor or story is that Schlereth would pee his pants accumulating a stinky smell to help intimidate defensive linemen.
Interestingly enough, Schlereth has not been inducted into the Denver Broncos Ring of Fame yet. In my opinion, his time will come, but it is very surprising to see Schlereth not a part of an esteemed honor right now.
— Cameron Parker
RT: Tony Jones
Right tackle is a tough spot to pick an all-time great for the Broncos, so we’ll go with the guy from one of the most dominant teams and offensive lines in team history, Tony Jones.
Jones started his career with the Cleveland Browns in 1988 and then played one season with the Baltimore Ravens after the team was sold. He finished his career with the Broncos, playing there for four seasons.
In those four seasons, he started 60 of a possible 64 regular-season games and was selected to the Pro Bowl in 1998. The team also had a 1,000-yard rusher in each of those four seasons.
Jones was also versatile. Though he started out as a right tackle and played that position when the Broncos won Super Bowl XXXII, he transitioned over to the left side following the retirement of Gary Zimmerman and was starting at that spot in Super Bowl XXXIII.
— Travis Wakeman
DE: Simon Fletcher
Defensive end Simon Fletcher was the Broncos’ all-time sack leader following a tremendous career that spanned from 1985 to 1995. He finished his career with 97.5 sacks.
That record was held by Fletcher until this past season when Broncos outside linebacker Von Miller broke it.
Fletcher was a dominant player who beat opposing offensive linemen with ease. He was a fierce defender who, when he got to the quarterback, made sure the passer knew who he was.
He laid some pretty big hits on quarterbacks. Those hits would generate a penalty flag in today’s game.
Fletcher was inducted into the Broncos’ Ring of Fame in 2016.
— Graham Tiedtke
DE: Rulon Jones
There are probably some other candidates also worthy of this spot, but Rulon Jones took the nod. Jones racked up 73.5 sacks in his nine-year career with the Broncos. He played on the right side of the defensive line for the team. Jones appeared in two Pro Bowls and received one All-Pro selection. T
he Broncos traded Lyle Alzado to Cleveland and the draft pick they used to replace Alzado became Jones.
Jones was a part of multiple playoffs and Super Bowl appearances. He was a strong staple on an “Orange Crush” defense that had Karl Mecklenberg and Randy Gradishar. Both Mecklenberg and Gradishar received all the hype but Jones cleaned up the garbage a lot, getting sacks and pressures on quarterbacks. He was a menace when wreaking havoc for opposing offenses.
The 11.0 sacks as a rookie by Jones was a long-standing mark until it was broken by Von Miller in 2011. Pro Football Reference does not list the total sacks in 1980 and 1981. Jones’ 73.5 sacks place him fourth all-time in Broncos history.
— Cameron Parker
DT: Trevor Pryce
Defensive tackle Trevor Pryce was selected by the Denver Broncos in the first round of the 1997 draft. He was one of the most talented defensive players to wear the orange and blue. Pryce’s explosion and length were a nightmare for lineman across the league due to his 6’5”, 290-pounds.
Pryce entered the league with little fanfare, being a late pick in the opening round and thus was set to play complementary football to the strong veteran group already in-house to the team’s first World Championship.
Pryce came into his own during his second season, totaling 8.5 sacks and wrecking game plans for opposing offenses towards the team’s second championship.
In 1999 Pryce began to find his place in the NFL as a premier defender, registering 13 sacks. His play earned him a Pro Bowl spot along with 1st Team All-Pro recognition.
Pryce began to tail in production as injuries mounted in 2004 and in 2005 he was cut before seeing a career resurgence in Baltimore.
Pryce has a strong claim to Ring of Fame honors due to his game-wrecking ability. He played 9 years in Denver, totaling 64 sacks, leading to 4 Pro Bowls and 3 All-Pro seasons (2 1st-team and 1 2nd-team.
— Nicholas Manning
DT: Paul Smith
The Broncos have produced some of the best defenders in NFL history. From Hall of Famer Steve Atwater to should-be Hall of Famers Randy Gradishar and Karl Mecklenburg, the Broncos defensive talent pool has a rich tradition.
One name that may not come to mind is Paul Smith, but it should have.
Smith played defensive tackle and defensive end for the Broncos from 1968-1978 after being selected in the 9th round of the 1968 draft out of New Mexico.
Recognition for Smith seems tough to be absent based on the fact he did most of his damage before the sacks were officially counted.
He gets lost in the shuffle with players such as Barney Chavous, Pete Duranko, and Lyle Alzado.
Smith helped turn the Broncos from a franchise hoping to earn respect, to a team with the legendary “Orange Crush” defense.
He dominated early on in his career, helping the Broncos get their first winning season in 1973 by sacking opposing quarterbacks 11 times.
Often having multiple-sack games, Smith ended his 135-game career with an unofficial 55 sacks and earned a spot in the Denver Broncos‘ Ring of Fame in 1986.
— Nicholas Manning
OLB: Von Miller
A disastrous 4-12 season for the Denver Broncos in 2010 yielded a beautiful result. With the second overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, the Broncos selected linebacker Von Miller, and the rest was history.
Owning just about every sack record in franchise history, the Super Bowl 50 MVP has been an anchor to the Broncos’ defense, and was an integral part of the Broncos’ Super Bowl 50 run, having the best postseason of his career, with 2.5 sacks in both the AFC Championship and the Super Bowl, one of those a tide-turning strip-sack on Cam Newton.
It would be a disservice in failing to mention that Von Miller dropped back into coverage and picked off Tom Brady in the postseason.
Miller makes a case for the greatest player in Broncos history, and not only has already secured a spot in the Broncos Ring of Fame but has already made a case for first-ballot Hall of Famer.
— Shelby Manning
LB: Karl Mecklenburg
Karl Mecklenburg was drafted in the 12th round out of Augustana University in 1983. He provided impact plays for the next 11 seasons for the Broncos.
Don’t let Mecklenburg’s draft position fool you. He is as clear of a choice for the All-Time Broncos team as you will find.
Mecklenburg played almost everywhere on defense, and that is not hyperbole. “Meck” played all 7 spots in the Broncos 3–4 defense.
Wade Phillips often remarked how perfect of a fit Mecklenburg was as he played inside on first and second down and provided a pass rush from the outside on third down.
Mecklenburg racked up 79 career sacks, highlighted by 13 in 1985. Had he stayed outside, Mecklenburg would have racked up many more sacks and potentially had a stronger push into the Hall of Fame discussion.
Mecklenburg’s all-around effort was also on display as he stopped opposing players 1,104 times while forcing 16 fumbles.
The team benefited for a decade by Mecklenburg’s versatility, but his legacy seems to be undervalued by outsiders as he did not stockpile stats in any one area.
If you focus on the impact and recognition of his peers, Mecklenburg has a legitimate gripe for the Hall of Fame as he earned his way to All-Pro honors three times, and six Pro Bowls.
— Nicholas Manning
LB: Randy Gradishar
This Broncos player is widely regarded as one of the snubs for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Randy Gradishar was a tackling machine and a true face of the “Orange Crush” defense with Karl Mecklenberg, Tom Jackson, Rulon Jones, and others. Gradishar racked up so many tackles that it begs the question of whether or not his type of play would last in the NFL today.
Gradishar’s style might be a different role, but it still holds a place in the NFL for an impact.
He accumulated 286 tackles in 1978, is a seven-time Pro Bowler and earned two first-team All-Pro honors (1977 and 1978). He remains the all-time leading tackler in Denver Broncos history.
One other tidbit is that Gradishar did not miss any games. He was a true iron man at linebacker. Through his career, Gradishar played in 145 games with 134 starts.
The linebacker would be inducted into the Ring of Fame in 1989. Broncos head coach Vic Fangio called Gradishar a terrific football player. The fact that Fangio said this shows you how great of a player Gradishar was.
— Cameron Parker
CB: Champ Bailey
One of the top-three cornerbacks in the history of the NFL, Champ Bailey was one of the last true shutdown cornerbacks the league had seen.
Easily the best cornerback in Broncos history, Bailey had 52 interceptions during his career. Bailey was traded to the Broncos from the Redskins in one of the most famous trades that involved running back Clinton Portis.
Bailey spent the next ten seasons in Denver.
Of his 52 career interceptions, 34 of them came as a member of the Broncos. His best season came during a strong playoff-push season when he had ten picks and a touchdown.
Bailey is credited with 12 Pro Bowl selections, is a 3-time first-team All-Pro, a 4-time second-team All-Pro, was named to the 2000s-All-Decade team, as well as the Broncos’ 50th Anniversary team.
— Graham Tiedtke
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
CB: Chris Harris Jr
When the Broncos signed a young Chris Harris Jr. as an undrafted free agent out of Kansas in 2011, they surely had no idea if this young kid would even make the roster or not.
They had no idea of the diamond in the rough they had just discovered. Broncos Country would learn soon enough, and Harris Jr. would become one of the biggest household names in the Mile High City.
Although he frequently got left out of the conversation for the top corner in the NFL, the chip on his shoulder only made CHJ better. The father of the historic “No Fly Zone” secondary that was crucial in the Super Bowl 50 victory, Chris Harris Jr. along with teammate and good friend Aqib Talib were ranked the best cornerback tandem by PFF in 2016.
In his time with the Broncos, CHJ was one of the most efficient corners in the NFL. He has been thrown at a total of 644 times, and only 10 of those instances resulted in a touchdown.
Although CHJ and Denver did not have the best relationship in his departure, Broncos Country will miss him, and he has definitely earned his place in the Broncos Ring of Fame.
— Shelby Manning
S: Steve Atwater
Called the “Smiling Assassin” throughout his career, safety Steve Atwater truly lived up to that nickname.
Drafted to bolster the Broncos’ struggling defense against the run, Atwater solidified that gap and so much more. Atwater transcended the position and was one of the more hard-hitting safeties in the history of the NFL.
Atwater was an eight-time Pro Bowler and started 155 games for Denver, the seventh-most in franchise history. Atwater posted an MVP-worthy performance in Super Bowl XXXII, and had it not been for Terrell Davis’ monster performance, Atwater likely would have added a Super Bowl MVP to his list of accomplishments as well.
While Atwater is widely known for his nasty hits, there is one defining moment that put Steve Atwater in the history books of the NFL. In a game against the division rival Kansas City Chiefs, the Broncos’ defense was put to the test against powerful running back Christian Okoye, or the “Nigerian Nightmare.”
As we know, Atwater was up to the test. He met Okoye up the gut and knocked the life out of him, or so it seemed. Mike Shanahan predicted this hit would become the definition of Steve Atwater’s career, and boy was he right.
A two-time Super Bowl Champion, Atwater is a member of the Broncos Ring of Fame, and after 16 long years of eligibility, the best safety in Broncos’ history was finally selected to be inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2020.
— Shelby Manning
S: Dennis Smith
Dennis Smith is one of the best safeties in NFL history that most fans don’t really know anything about.
Hall of Famer Steve Atwater rightly gets a lot of attention as one of the best safeties and best defensive players in Broncos history, but the fact of the matter is, he and Dennis Smith were kind of the Broncos’ version of MJ and Scottie Pippen defensively.
Perfect complements.
Dennis Smith was a first-round pick of the Broncos in the 1981 NFL Draft and he wound up getting selected to six Pro Bowls in his time with the team.
He played every year of his NFL career — 1981 to 1994 — with the Denver Broncos.
In 184 games, Smith had 30 interceptions, 1,158 tackles, and 15 sacks. He was one of the most feared safeties in the league throughout the 1980s.
Smith is one of the best draft selections in Denver Broncos history and is a member of the team’s Ring of Fame.
K: Jason Elam
Jason Elam was the Denver Broncos’ kicker for fifteen years, from 1993 through 2007. He finished his career with the Atlanta Falcons.
Elam had a career field goal conversion rate of 80.7 percent, which currently ranks 49th in NFL history. That doesn’t look great, but he did help the Broncos win two Super Bowls during the late-90s.
Elam was a three-time Pro Bowler and 3-time All-Pro. He finished his career with 1,983 points in 263 games. Elam also had a career-long of 63 yards.
— Graham Tiedtke
P: Tom Rouen
Though Tom Rouen had six different stops after leaving the Broncos, he spent nearly a decade punting in Denver. During that time, he was named an All-Pro in 1994 and was part of the back-to-back Super Bowl-winning teams. He played in 152 games for the team without ever missing one after winning the job as an undrafted rookie in 1993.
Rouen holds a career average with the team of 43.9 yards per punt and a net average of 36.2 yards. Both of those numbers are less than the averages posted during Britton Colquitt’s time with the team, but Rouen played in 56 more games.
You could make the case for Colquitt to be on this team, but Rouen gets the nod here based on longevity.
— Travis Wakeman
KR: Trindon Holliday
Don’t be fooled by the fumbles — Trindon Holliday is and will always be one of the best return men the Denver Broncos have ever had.
The 5-foot-5, 165-pound Holliday definitely looked more like a sprinter than a footbal player, but his dynamic speed, quickness, and return skills were absolutely critical for the Denver Broncos in 2012 and 2013.
In that amount of time, Holliday set eleven franchise records for a return specialist. Think about that.
He had a kickoff return touchdown and punt return touchdown during the 2012 regular season, and then he had both a punt return and kickoff return touchdown in the playoffs as well.
In the 2013 season, Holliday again had a punt return and kickoff return for a touchdown, but he also had 10 fumbles over two seasons which led to his eventual release.
Holliday was a dynamic return specialist, no doubt, and a tremendous weapon for the Broncos when he was on his game.
— Sayre Bedinger
PR: Rick Upchurch
The Denver Broncos found themselves an absolute playmaker in the fourth round of the 1975 NFL Draft.
Rick Upchurch never had 1,000 yards receiving, but he was one of the most dynamic players the Broncos had in the ’70s and ’80s.
He caught 267 passes for 4,369 yards and 24 touchdowns in his time with the Broncos, averaging over 16 yards per reception, so he was not just a return specialist. He made an impact on the offense, too.
As a returner, though, he was special.
Upchurch racked up over 5,300 return yards throughout his NFL career, and as a rookie in 1975 came close to 2,000 all-purpose yards because of his return ability.
He had eight punt return touchdowns in his NFL career — most in Denver Broncos history — and averaged over 12 yards per return for his career.