Best value draft picks in Denver Broncos history
The 2023 NFL Draft is just over one week away. The Denver Broncos won't have a pick until the third round, meaning that the team will need to try and find the best value that it can after the first 66 players are selected.
The Broncos have been good in the past at finding great players in the later rounds, prompting this list of value picks. This will not include players drafted early on in the draft, as first and second-round picks are generally supposed to bring value to the team.
But the best picks in every draft as those that are made later on, bringing great value when it's not necessarily expected. Just ask the New England Patriots, who took this guy with the No. 199 overall pick in the 1999 draft. That kind of worked out.
The Broncos have hit on several late-round gems as well. So many, in fact, that many honorable mentions will have to be included outside the top 10 of this list.
Broncos best all-time value draft picks
Honorable mentions
Paul Howard, OL- 3rd round, 1973, BYU: A steady and dependable offensive lineman for the Broncos, Howard spent his entire 14-year playing career in Denver.
Mike Harden, S- 5th round, 1980, Michigan: Harden was a hard-hitting safety that spent nine years in Denver and had 33 interceptions while with the team.
Sammy Winder, RB- 5th round, 1982, Southern Mississippi: Winder's entire 9-year career was spent in Denver and his 5,427 career rushing yards still rank third on the team's all-time list.
Mark Jackson, WR- 6th round, 1986, Purdue: Jackson spent seven years in Denver where he was part of the "Three Amigos" wide receiver trio. He was also on the receiving end of the touchdown that tied the game in the 1986 AFC Championship Game against the Cleveland Browns following the famous "Drive".
Mike Anderson, RB- 6th round, 2000, Utah: Mike Anderson was the Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2000 following a season in which he rushed for nearly 1,500 yards and 15 touchdowns. He also still holds the Broncos' single-game rushing mark of 251 yards.
Elvis Dumervil, DE- 4th round, 2006, Louisville: Elvis Dumervil fell in the draft due to his height (5-foot-11) but he became one of the best pass-rushers in team history and would have had an even longer career with the team if not for a fax machine foul up by his agent in 2013.
Brandon Marshall, WR- 4th round, 2006, Central Florida: A player who would have made the top 10 if he spent more time with the Broncos, Marshall did much of his damage with other teams but finished his career with over 12,000 yards receiving.