Revealing the 5 best second-round picks in Denver Broncos history

Back in 1985, the NFL had only 30 teams so the 31st pick, which is where the Broncos took Vance Johnson, was actually a second-round choice.

At Arizona, Johnson was used as a do-it-all running back and the Wildcats did just that, handing him the ball, throwing him the ball and having him return kicks.

Despite never catching more than 31 passes in any season during his college career, the Broncos made Johnson a wide receiver and he quickly became one of the favorite targets of John Elway in the passing game.

Johnson would become one of the famed “Three Amigos” along with Mark Jackson and Ricky Nattiel. He was never considered among the best wide receivers in the league but he seemed to always be there to make a play when Elway and the team needed one.

His consistency during the 10 seasons he played for the Broncos put him up among the all-time leaders in team history and to this day, his name is still not far down the list.

Johnson’s 415 receptions rank sixth in team history. His 5,695 yards and 37 receiving touchdowns rank eighth in team history in each category.

Johnson retired following the 1995 season and since then, the Broncos have had some great wide receivers including Rod Smith, Ed McCaffrey and Demaryius Thomas. But at the time of his retirement, Johnson was certainly in the conversation among the best wide receivers the team had ever had.