Top 15 greatest draft picks in Denver Broncos history

7. Demaryius Thomas, WR (1st round, 2010)

At one point in time, there was a great sense of disappointment over the selection of Demaryius Thomas. At the time he was selected (1st round of the 2010 NFL Draft), fans simply couldn't believe the Denver Broncos would pass on someone like Dez Bryant, who was perceived to be arguably the best receiver prospect in the class and inexplicably fell to the Broncos' range in the 2010 draft.

Given the team's need for a receiver, Bryant seemed like the sure thing, but Josh McDaniels took a bigger, faster, perhaps less refined player in Demaryius Thomas out of Georgia Tech. Thomas' contributions to Georgia Tech were obviously impressive given they are a Triple Option offense. For DT to stand out as a first-round prospect is impressive in its own right.

Thomas ended up proving any doubters he had extremely wrong. He quickly became a beloved player, one of the most beloved in franchise history. His signature moment early on was the overtime touchdown against the Steelers in the 2011 playoffs but that was merely the launching off point for Thomas' Ring of Fame caliber career.

From 2012-16, Thomas was one of the most dominant receivers in the game and he became an absolute force when Peyton Manning took over as the team's quarterback. In nine years in Denver, Demaryius Thomas became the team's second-leading receiver of all-time with 9,055 yards and adding 60 touchdowns.

He tragically passed away in December 2021 at the age of 33, but DT will forever be one of the greatest players in Denver Broncos history and he will always be no. 88 in orange and blue.