11 former Broncos draft picks that played better after leaving

The Denver Broncos, like just about every other NFL team, have a very mixed bag of success and failure when it comes to the NFL Draft. Unfortunately for the Broncos, some of the better players the team has drafted have gone on to have better success with other NFL teams after their playing days in Denver. The Broncos have certainly been guilty of giving up on some players too soon, and while not every player leaving Denver goes on to have better success elsewhere, there are a handful of players who certainly have.

Looking back at the last 20-25 years, which players drafted (or originally signed) by the Denver Broncos have gone on to have better success with other NFL teams? Let's take a look at 11 familiar names and some players whose best NFL success came after they left the Mile High City.

11 players who had better success after leaving the Denver Broncos

1. DeMarcus Walker, DL (2nd round pick, 2017)

Current team: Chicago Bears

Many Denver Broncos fans will be surprised to learn that DeMarcus Walker was actually a pretty big-money free agent acquisition for the Chicago Bears in the 2023 offseason. And the Chicago Bears are going to be a theme within this post, so beware...

Walker was playing for the Tennessee Titans last season where he racked up a career-best 7.0 sacks while playing just 426 total snaps. On top of that, Walker added career-highs in TFLs (10.0) and QB hits (16). He had 17 pressures last year and now entering his 7th NFL season, it's clear that Walker is doing much better in his post-Broncos career than he did in Denver, even though he racked up 8.5 sacks very quietly over his final two seasons with the team.

The Bears signed him to a three-year deal worth $21 million and nearly $16 million in guarantees.