The Broncos have appeared in eight Super Bowls, winning three of those. Along the way, they have become one of the most storied franchises in the NFL, which of course, has been helped by the efforts of some fantastic players.
We know all of the players that immediately come to mind when talking about legendary Broncos, but what about those that don't? The team still has received incredible contributions from some players who should never be forgotten.
For many of the names on this list, the Pro Football Hall of Fame is likely out of reach. However, each of them should likely at least be considered in the discussion for the Ring of Fame, even though the Broncos have announced that no new names will be added to that this season.
Most underappreciated Broncos: Riley Odoms, Tight End
Riley Odoms was the No. 5 overall pick of the 1972 draft out of Houston and he spent his entire 12-year career with the Broncos.
In the early 1970s, the tight end position was not featured like it is in today's game. Tight ends were mostly used as extra blockers, but Odoms was a guy who began to change that.
Not only was Odoms a terrific blocker, but he became a big weapon in the passing attack. When he retired, only three tight ends in league history had more than his 5,755 career receiving yards. Two of those players (Mike Ditka, Jackie Smith) were elected to the Hall of Fame.
To this day, Odoms still ranks in the top 10 in team history in receptions, receiving yards and touchdown catches. But because he retired 40 years ago, his name is largely forgotten.
Shannon Sharpe is the best tight end in Broncos history and he is on a short list of the best the NFL has ever seen. But right behind him at No. 2 in Broncos history is Odoms, who deserves much more credit than he gets.
Most underappreciated Broncos: Steve Watson, Wide Receiver
Steve Watson came to the Broncos as an undrafted free agent out of Temple in 1979. He was never expected to be much at the professional level, but he hung around for his first two seasons before having a career year in 1981.
That year, he led the NFL with 13 touchdown catches. That helped him be selected to the Pro Bowl and he would go on to play for the Broncos for a total of nine seasons.
Even when the Broncos had the much more famous "Three Amigos" of Vance Johnson, Mark Jackson and Ricky Nattiel" around, Watson was still a contributor and trusted receiver in the passing game.
Like Odoms, Watson is still amongst the top 10 in team history in receptions, receiving yardage and touchdowns. He will never be talked about with the greatest receivers in team history, but he has the numbers that put him in the conversation of the most underappreciated.
Most underappreciated Broncos: Trevor Pryce, Defensive Lineman
Following their devastating playoff loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars following the 1996 season, the Broncos used their first-round pick to select Clemson's Trevor Pryce at No. 28 overall. What a great pick.
People often forget just how good Pryce was as the statistics don't always support how good he was on the field, but he was dominant at times.
Pryce helped the Broncos to their first two Super Bowl wins, taking the Lombardi Trophy in both 1997 and 1998.
Pryce spent nine seasons with the Broncos and in addition to the Super Bowl wins, he went to four consecutive Pro Bowls from 1999-2002. His 64 sacks with the team are still good for seventh on the all-time list and he was one of the best defensive linemen in team history.
Following the 2005 season, Pryce signed with the Baltimore Ravens as a free agent and played their until 2010 before finishing his career that season as a member of the New York Jets.
Most underappreciated Broncos: Sammy Winder, Running Back
The top two running backs in Broncos history are pretty widely agreed upon, Terrell Davis and Floyd Little. But the team's No. 3 all-time leading rusher is actually Sammy Winder.
Winder spent his entire nine-year career with the Broncos after being selected in the fifth round of the 1982 draft out of Southern Mississippi. He was selected to the Pro Bowl twice while playing in three Super Bowls with the team.
Winder made famous the 'Mississippi Mud Walk', his celebration after each touchdown. But he was a solid runner for the Broncos who was the team's workhorse running back for most of the 1980s.
He finished his career with 5,427 yards rushing and 39 touchdowns. Only Davis and Little have rushed for more yardage in team history and his rushing touchdowns also rank third in team history.
Most underappreciated Broncos: Al Wilson, Linebacker
How long have you heard that the Broncos have had an issue at the middle linebacker position? Though the team currently has a good duo with Alex Singleton and Josey Jewell, they haven't had a complete player at this position since probably 2006, when Al Wilson stopped playing.
Wilson was chosen in the first round of the 1999 draft, No. 31 overall out of Tennessee. For a team coming off of back-to-back Super Bowl wins, it couldn't have made a better pick.
Wilson is one of the best linebackers in team history. A tackling machine who could do a little bit of everything, Wilson went to five Pro Bowls and was chosen as a First Team All-Pro in 2005.
He finished his career with over 700 tackles, 21.5 sacks and five interceptions. His entire eight-year career was spent in Denver. Though he looked to continue playing beyond the 2006 season, Wilson had experienced some health issues during his career and there wasn't a lot of interest. Those teams that were interested didn't want to spend a lot of money for his services, so Wilson decided to hang up the cleats.
But his time in Denver was incredibly productive and whenever the team does decide to induct a new member into the Ring of Honor, Wilson's name should be on a short list of candidates.
Most underappreciated Broncos: Jake Plummer, Quarterback
The Broncos have been fortunate enough to have two of the best quarterbacks in NFL history in John Elway and Peyton Manning, but the third-best quarterback the team ever had is Jake Plummer.
The Broncos don't have a great history in drafting quarterbacks, which is why Tim Tebow is the only quarterback the team has ever drafted that won a playoff game, but free agency has been another story and that is how Plummer came aboard.
Following the 2002 season, the Broncos had seen enough from Brian Griese and they were able to bring Plummer in after six seasons as the quarterback of the Arizona Cardinals. Plummer guided the Broncos for four seasons and led the team to the AFC Championship Game in 2005.
Despite a lot of success and a winning record as the team's quarterback, the Broncos traded up in the first round of the 2006 draft to select Jay Cutler at No. 11 overall. The move was met with plenty of criticism and that only continued when Mike Shanahan chose to bench Plummer in favor of Cutler in November 2006 despite a 7-4 record at the time.
Plummer finished out the 2006 season as the backup before being traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers following that season. He never suited up for the Bucs, however, choosing instead to retire from football.