Denver Broncos 5 worst first-round picks of the last 20 years

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DENVER – OCTOBER 30: Running back Mike Anderson #38 of the Denver Broncos carries the ball against defensive end Juqua Thomas #75 of the Philadelphia Eagles at INVESCO Field at Mile High on October 30, 2005 in Denver, Colorado. The Broncos defeated the Eagles 49-21. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images) /

Denver Broncos worst 1st-round picks in the last 20 years

4. George Foster, OT (2003, 20th overall)

The Denver Broncos’ post-John Elway era was a bit of a struggle until the mid-2000s.

The team certainly had its tough times after the 1998-99 season but nothing was more gutwrenching than the premature loss of running back Terrell Davis to knee injuries.

Even without Davis as of the end of the 2001 season, the Denver Broncos set out to establish a strong ground game with Mike Shanahan’s zone blocking scheme, which seemingly worked for any running back that stepped into the lineup.

In order for that to work, the team needed to maintain stellar offensive line play, which is why they used a first-round pick on Georgia standout George Foster in the 2003 NFL Draft.

Although Foster was part of some really good times with the Denver Broncos, including the team having one of the top rushing attacks in 2005, he played with the Broncos for only four seasons, getting benched late in 2006 for Adam Meadows.

The Broncos then traded Foster to the Detroit Lions as part of the Dre’ Bly trade, and he played just four games 19 games there before his NFL career ended.

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