10 biggest draft steals in Denver Broncos history
6. Gary Kubiak. . Round 8, Pick No. 197. Gary Kubiak, QB. . 1983. 873. Gary Kubiak, QB. player
The 1983 draft is arguably the most memorable in NFL history. That was the deepest quarterback draft of all-time and it was the year the Broncos got John Elway. But, Elway was not the quarterback the team drafted. He would come over via trade after refusing to play for the team that did draft him, the Baltimore Colts.
The quarterback that the Broncos did draft that year was Gary Kubiak out of Texas A&M. Kubiak would be Elway's backup for nine seasons, helping him study and prepare for games. He was also always ready to come in and lead the team in a pinch.
But the reason Kubiak ends up so high on this list has much less to do with what he did on the field and much more to do with what he would go on to do following his playing career. Being drafted by the Broncos created a relationship between Kubiak and the organization that would lead to him becoming one of the most important coaches in team history.
When Shanahan was hired as the team's head coach, he brought Kubiak in to be his offensive coordinator. That duo helped the team win two Super Bowls and Kubiak became one of the best offensive minds in the league.
That led to him becoming the head coach of the Houston Texans but later down the road, he came back to Denver as the team's head coach and would be the main man on the sideline when the Broncos won Super Bowl 50.
Round 8, Pick No. 199. 1975. . Steve Foley, Safety. 5. player. Steve Foley 2. Steve Foley, Safety. 2115.
The Broncos took Steve Foley nearly 200 picks into the draft process in 1975. He spent one season playing for the Jacksonville Express of the World Football League in 1975 before joining the Broncos the following season.
He would play 11 years in the league, all in Denver, and his 44 career interceptions are still at the top of the team's all-time list. Foley never made a Pro Bowl and largely flew under the radar, though he did make the All-Pro Team in 1978.
Foley's playing career ended in 1986, so he is not often talked about by fans nearly 40 years later, but he was one of the more consistent defensive backs the team ever had, playing in 150 career games.