30 greatest Denver Broncos players of all time

4. Shannon Sharpe, TE

One of the greatest seventh-round picks of all-time, Shannon Sharpe came into the NFL in 1990 with almost no fanfare. He played at a Division II program, Savannah State, and was 6-foot-2 and 230 pounds, which is undersized for a tight end. Denver tried to use him as a wideout but then thought better of it. By 1992, the Broncos had him playing tight end full-time.

Sharpe excelled once he was allowed to play his natural position and made the first of seven consecutive Pro Bowl teams that year. In 12 years with the Broncos, he recorded 815 receptions for 10,060 yards with 55 touchdowns. That places him second in franchise history in receptions, fourth in yardage and third in touchdowns. (He's also first in trash-talking, which might be league-wide rather than just in Denver.)

After winning two Super Bowls with Denver in 1997 and 1998, Sharpe signed with the Baltimore Ravens in 2000 and won a third title. He returned to the Broncos in 2002 after two years with the Ravens and still played well At age 35, Sharpe had 770 yards and eight touchdowns in what proved to be his final season in the NFL.

3. Terrell Davis, RB

Although his career was short, Terrell Davis had a massive impact for the Broncos. Added in the sixth round of the 1995 NFL Draft, Davis burst his way onto the scene with 1,117 yards as a rookie. That was the first of four straight years with more than 1,000 yards for TD, but his best campaign came in 1998.

That year, he ran for a league-leading 2,008 yards and 21 touchdowns. It was the second year in a row he led the NFL in touchdown runs, also doing so with 15 in 1997. Davis is also credited with being the catalyst for their back-to-back Super Bowl wins in 1997 and 1998. His ascension to stardom was exactly what John Elway needed to get over the hump.

Sadly, Davis saw his career go downhill following the second title run. He played in just nine games in 1999 and 2000, and while he had 701 yards in 2001, he was able to suit up for just eight games. Injuries ended his career early, but Davis still did enough to make the Hall of Fame.