The Denver Broncos have had a ton of great players in their recent history, and I bet the team would love to have these four in their prime. The Broncos are somehow 2-2 and have three of their next four games at home. It isn't crazy to see this team a 5-3 in about a month. The Broncos have been set back a few years because of the Russell Wilson trade, so they are lacking some play-makers.
Well, if we could go back and time and grab a few former Broncos' players and insert them into the roster right now, who would we pick?
Former Denver Broncos who the team would love to have right now
Emmanuel Sanders, WR, 2014-2019
How about having Emmanuel Sanders back? One of the more underrated wide receivers of the 21st century, Sanders put his name on the map in 2014, his first year with the Denver Broncos. He was in Denver for nearly six seasons, as the team sent him to the San Francisco 49ers at the 2019 NFL Trade Deadline. He caught 404 passes for 5,361 yards and 28 touchdowns.
Sanders averaged 68.7 yards per game for the Broncos, which ends up being 1,168 yards over a 17-game season. Man, the Broncos and Bo Nix would love to have that type of player on the offense right now. Sanders had high-end speed and was able to run routes with the best of them.
Al Wilson, LB, 1999-2006
An enforcer in the middle of the defense for years in Denver, Al Wilson would be a welcome addition to the Broncos' current unit. They've missed an impact inside linebacker for years now and just lost Alex Singleton for the rest of the 2024 NFL Season with a torn ACL, something he was somehow able to finish the game on in Week 6.
Wilson was in Denver from 1999-2006, amassing 723 total tackles, 21.5 sacks, and 62 tackles for loss. The Broncos drafted him in the first-round of the 1999 NFL Draft.
Julius Thomas, TE, 2011-2014
Julius Thomas had a cup of coffee in Denver but was one of the most prolific tight ends in the NFL during the 2013 and 2014 seasons, making the Pro Bowl in both years. In '13 and '14, Thomas hauled in 108 receptions for 1,277 yards and 24 touchdowns. He then left for the Jacksonville Jaguars for a couple of years and ended his NFL career with the Miami Dolphins in 2017.
The Denver Broncos have gotten virtually no production from their tight ends this year, so adding someone like Julius Thomas in his prime would be a huge bonus for Bo Nix and his development.
Malik Jackson, DT, 2012-2015
The one tiny complaint I have with the Broncos' defensive line is that they still have room to add a true impact player at the defensive tackle spot. Malik Jackson played for the Denver Broncos from 2012-2015 and was a total menace. He left after the team's Super Bowl victory to sign with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
During his four years in Denver, he had 134 total tackles, 14.5 sacks, 27 tackles for loss and 44 QB hits. His best year came in 2017 with the Jaguars, but Jackson was a high-end defensive tackle during his time with the Broncos. Right now, the Broncos have DJ Jones and Malcolm Roach as the two primary bodies at the DT spot.
Can you imagine how much better this DL would be with a player like Jackson in the unit? The DL is already among the best in the NFL, but my gosh, adding Malik Jackson would almost seem unfair.