Denver Broncos 5 best one-year wonders in team history
Denver Broncos one-year wonder no. 3: Javon Walker, WR (2006)
Javon Walker is one of the best one-year wonders in Denver Broncos history.
The Broncos were coming off of one of the most frustrating defeats of the post-John Elway era.
In the same playoffs, they became the first team to ever beat Tom Brady in a playoff game and they also lost on their home field to young Ben Roethlisberger, who would go on to win his first Super Bowl as an NFL quarterback.
The sour taste left in the Broncos’ mouths following that horrendous loss at home despite being the all-around better team led to a number of major moves in the 2006 offseason, including an incredible draft class.
- QB Jay Cutler
- TE Tony Scheffler
- WR Brandon Marshall
- DE Elvis Dumervil
- OG Chris Kuper
That was one of the best draft classes in Denver Broncos history in terms of how well those guys all did throughout the course of their careers, but one aspect of that class that is consistently forgotten about is the trade the team made to acquire wide receiver Javon Walker.
Walker was previously with the Green Bay Packers where he was a first-round pick and Pro Bowl receiver. The Broncos only gave up a second-round pick to get him and then signed him to a new deal.
Walker quickly became the top receiver on the team with 69 receptions for 1,084 yards and eight touchdowns.
He even added 123 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown that year.
It looked like the Broncos had a long-term superstar on their hands.
After the 2006 regular season finale, Walker was in a vehicle with Darrent Williams in downtown Denver that was attacked by gunfire, and Williams was tragically and fatally wounded.
The trauma of that event undoubtedly weighed incredibly heavy on Walker, who only played eight more games for the Broncos.
He signed another big-money deal with the Raiders in 2008 but only played 11 games for them.