Broncos All-time: These players have the most receiving yards in team history
The Denver Broncos have had some amazing players in their franchises history. Which players have the most receiving yards in the history of the team? This was a fun ranking to look at. The Broncos do have a couple of active players who could climb a bit more on this all-time list. Courtland Sutton ranks 13th all-time in receiving yards for the Broncos, and Tim Patrick ranks 26th.
Both Sutton and Patrick could rise up these all-time rankings a bit in the 2024 NFL Season, but the point here is to look at the players in Broncos history who have the most receiving yards. Are you able to name the top 10?
Broncos All-time: These players have the most receiving yards in team history
10. Emmanuel Sanders - 5,361
Ranking 10th on the list is one of the most likeable players in the history of the Denver Broncos. Emmanuel Sanders was simply a stud during his time with the Broncos. In just 78 games with Denver from 2014-2019, Sanders caught 404 pases for 5,361 yards. He was a part of the Broncos Super Bowl 50 team and was eventually traded to the San Francisco 49ers.
9. Haven Moses - 5,450
Coming in at No. 9 on this list, Haven Moses played from 1972-1981 for the Denver Broncos and caught 302 passes for 5,450 yards and 44 touchdowns. Moses tallied 140 games for Denver and made one Pro Bowl with the team, which game in 1973.
8. Vance Johnson - 5,695
Vance Johnson ranks eighth in Broncos history with 5,695 receiving yards. He put up that number on 415 receptions from 1985-1995. Johnson broke the 1,000-yard mark once, and that came in 1989.
7. Riley Odoms - 5,755
Perhaps the second-best tight end in the history of the Denver Broncos, Riley Odoms caught 396 passes for 5,755 yards and 41 touchdowns. He played in 153 regular season games and six playoff games for the Broncos.
6. Steve Watson - 6,112
From 1979-1987, Steve Watson caught 353 passes for 6,112 yards and 36 touchdowns. Making the Pro Bowl once in 1981, Watson was able to catch a ton of passes from former Broncos QB legend, John Elway. Watson played his entire career with the Denver Broncos.
5. Ed McCaffrey - 6,200
Ed McCaffrey is one of the greats in Denver Broncos history. McCaffrey caught 462 pases for 6,200 yards and 46 touchdowns. He helped the Broncos win their first two Super Bowls and played in 121 games for the team. Much of Broncos Country were calling for the Broncos to draft his son, Christian McCaffrey, in the 2017 NFL Draft.
4. Lionel Taylor - 6,872
Lionel Taylor played 96 games for the Denver Broncos and caught 543 passes for 6,872 yards. He led the league in receptions in five separate seasons and had four 1,000-yard seasons to his credit as well.
3. Shannon Sharpe - 8,439
A man who needs no introduction, Shannon Sharpe is the best TE in the history of the Denver Broncos and one of the best tight ends to ever play football. His brother, Sterling Sharpe, may have actually been a better NFL player, but Sharpe was also excellent. He caught 675 passes in a Denver Broncos uniform.
2. Demaryius Thomas - 9,055
The late, great Demaryius Thomas may have had the best prime years of any receiver in the history of the Denver Broncos. He earned five Pro Bowls and won the Super Bowl in 2015 with the Broncos, which was the final year of Peyton Manning's career. Thomas caught 111 passes for 1,619 yards and 11 touchdowns during the 2014 season.
1. Rod Smith - 11,389
The three-time Pro Bowler and two-time Super Bowl champion not only leads the Broncos franchise in receiving yards, but should be in the Hall of Fame. I mean, what are they waiting for? Rod Smith is simply one of the greatest ever, and his time with the Broncos spanned from 1995-2006.
Rod Smith had his last 1,000-yard season in 2005, when he was a whopping 35 years old.