The Greatest Denver Broncos Players of All Time
The Denver Broncos scored a record 606 points in 2013, while their 2015 defense allowed the fewest yards, so both count as their greatest players rank. Every player here is named on at least 6 of the 15 Broncos honor rolls and all-time rankings counted for this list: the team's own Ring of Fame, the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the team's Top 100 Team (2019), and twelve press rankings. Players left off no more than three of the sources that could have named them start in the top group; everyone else who clears the door starts below them, and your votes set the order from there.
Champ Bailey is #1 on “The Greatest Denver Broncos Players of All Time”.
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Champ Bailey
He picked off Tom Brady in the end zone in a divisional playoff with New England on January 14, 2006, and ran it back 100 yards until Benjamin Watson knocked it loose; it was ruled out of bounds at the 1, Mike Anderson scored from there, and Denver won 27-13. Washington traded him to Denver on March 4, 2004, with a draft pick thrown in, for Clinton Portis, and he covered receivers as a Bronco through 2013. His 10 interceptions in 2006 tied for the league lead, and he was runner-up in AP voting for its defensive player award. His Denver years brought 8 Pro Bowls, and in 2009 a Broncos fan vote put him on the club's 50th Anniversary Team. You'll find him on 14 of the 15 sources counted for this list.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Champ_Bailey - 2
Terrell Davis
Denver waited until the 6th round of the 1995 draft to take him, and he ran the ball for the club from 1995 through 2001. In 1998 he ran for 2,008 yards and 21 touchdowns, and he collected the AP's MVP and offensive player awards. The 1997 season had already brought 1,750 yards, and its playoffs brought 8 more rushing touchdowns, the NFL's postseason record, and a media panel voted him MVP of Super Bowl XXXII. He retired in 2002 with 7,607 rushing yards, more than any Bronco before him had gained, after 3 Pro Bowls covering 1996 through 1998; the Pro Football Hall of Fame took him with its class of 2017. He's on each of the 15 sources in this count.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terrell_Davis - 3
John Elway
On 3rd-and-6 in the 3rd quarter of Super Bowl XXXII, January 25, 1998, he scrambled, dove for a first down, and took hits from 3 Packers that spun him sideways in the air. He was Denver's quarterback for 16 seasons, from 1983 to 1998. The 8-yard run from the Green Bay 12 became known as the Helicopter, Denver scored 2 plays later to lead 24-17, and the Broncos beat Green Bay 31-24 for the franchise's first title; a year later he threw for 336 yards in the Super Bowl XXXIII win over Atlanta. AP voters made him their MVP for 1987, and at his 1999 retirement no starting quarterback had more wins. Baltimore's Colts had drafted him in 1983 before trading him to Denver that May. All 15 sources behind this list name him.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Elway - 4
Shannon Sharpe
Catching 13 passes for 156 yards and a score against the Raiders, then of Los Angeles, in the playoff game that ended Denver's 1993 season, he tied the NFL postseason mark for receptions at the time. A 7th-round choice in 1990, he worked at tight end as a Bronco from 1990 to 1999 and again in 2002 and 2003. His run of Pro Bowl seasons lasted from 1992 to 1998, and Denver won Super Bowls XXXII and XXXIII with him. His career totals, Baltimore years included, were 815 catches, 10,060 yards and 62 touchdowns, the most of any NFL tight end when he retired; his Pro Football Hall of Fame class was 2011. His name turns up on every one of the 15 honor rolls and rankings counted.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shannon_Sharpe - 5
Steve Atwater
Early in a Monday Night Football game on September 17, 1990, he met Kansas City's Christian Okoye and stopped him for no gain, then stood over him while Okoye lay stunned, and Denver won 24-23. Denver had him at safety from 1989 to 1998, and he finished with 1 season as a Jet. Over his Broncos years he was picked for 8 Pro Bowls, and Pro Football Hall of Fame voters, choosing a 1990s All-Decade Team, kept a safety spot for him. In Super Bowl XXXII he strip-sacked Brett Favre, a fumble Neil Smith recovered, and made 6 solo tackles in the 31-24 win; he went into the Ring of Fame in 2005 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2020. 14 of the 15 sources tallied for this list have him.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Atwater - 6
Randy Gradishar
In 1980 his interception return at Cleveland Stadium went 93 yards for a score, a career-long return and 1 of 4 defensive touchdowns he scored. From 1974 through 1983 he was a Broncos linebacker, and from 1976 on he played inside in Joe Collier's 3-4 Orange Crush defense. For 1978, UPI, NEA and the AP all gave him their defensive player award, and he collected 7 Pro Bowl selections. By Dan Reeves's account he played every game, and after the 1977 season he helped take Denver to Super Bowl XII, the club's first. He retired after 1983 and had to wait for the class of 2024 to reach the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the first player from that 1977 team chosen. He gets a nod from 13 of 15 sources.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Randy_Gradishar - 7
Rod Smith
Undrafted out of Missouri Southern in 1994, he signed with Denver, spent that season on the practice squad, and caught passes for the Broncos from 1995 through 2006. In Super Bowl XXXIII he caught 5 passes for 152 yards, 80 of them on a touchdown, as Denver beat Atlanta 34-19. His first NFL catch, on September 17, 1995, was a 43-yard touchdown from John Elway in a 38-31 win over Washington. He had 8 seasons of 1,000 yards, and his 113 catches in 2001 were the league's high; in 2000 and 2001 he was an AP All-Pro, second team. He left the game holding the Broncos' marks for catches, 849, and receiving yards, 11,389, and no undrafted player before him had reached 10,000 yards. Put him down for 13 of the 15 sources counted here.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rod_Smith_(wide_receiver) - 8
Karl Mecklenburg
Lining up at 7 spots, nose tackle, both defensive end positions and all 4 linebacker jobs, he had 4 sacks and forced 2 fumbles at Pittsburgh on December 1, 1985, in a 31-23 win. Denver was his team for 12 seasons, 1983 through 1994, the whole of his NFL career. He'd already had 4 sacks against New Orleans that September, and he ended 1985 with 13. The Broncos spent the 310th pick of 1983 on him. 6 Pro Bowls and 3 Super Bowl trips followed, and he retired with 79 sacks. 12 of the 15 sources counted for this list name him.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_Mecklenburg - 9
Peyton Manning
He signed a 5-year, $96 million contract with Denver on March 20, 2012, and quarterbacked the Broncos through the 2015 season. He threw 2 touchdown passes and no interceptions in that last season's AFC title game, and Denver held off New England 20-18. The AP gave him its comeback award for 2012, and in 2013 he set NFL single-season records with 5,477 passing yards and 55 touchdown throws. Super Bowl 50 was his final game, and the win made him the first starting quarterback to take a Super Bowl with 2 franchises; on March 7, 2016, he retired. He's on 10 of the 14 sources that could have named him, since Bleacher Report's top 20 ran in July 2012, before his first Broncos game that September.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peyton_Manning - 10
Von Miller
Super Bowl 50 went to the Broncos 24-10 over Carolina, and he had 2.5 sacks, forced 2 fumbles, and was voted the game's MVP by a media panel and fans. He was a Denver pass rusher from 2011 until the Broncos traded him to the Rams on November 1, 2021. He was the AP's defensive rookie of 2011 and had 18.5 sacks in 2012. During the AFC title game 2 weeks before Super Bowl 50, he sacked Tom Brady 2.5 times and intercepted him, and his 110.5 sacks for Denver were a franchise record by the time of the trade. He signed with the Cowboys for 2026 and is not eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame while he is active, so he's named on 10 of the 14 sources open to him.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Von_Miller - 11
Floyd Little
His 1,133 rushing yards in 1971 led the NFL and made him the first Bronco over 1,000 for a season, a year after his 901 led the AFC. He played halfback for Denver from 1967 through 1975 and was a team captain in all 9 of those seasons. In 1967 he was the first 1st-round choice the AFL club ever managed to sign; that signing helped keep the team from leaving Denver, which is how he became the Franchise. His 6,323 rushing yards ranked 7th in NFL history at his 1975 retirement, and the club retired his number 44 that year, 35 years before his 2010 election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Put him on 11 of the 15 sources behind this list.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Floyd_Little - 12
Gary Zimmerman
The Vikings dealt him to the Broncos on August 24, 1993, and over 5 seasons in Denver, through 1997, he started all 76 games he played. All 14 of his 1996 starts came at left tackle, and Denver's running game ranked at the top of the league that year. Pro Bowl nods came in 1994, 1995 and 1996, and the Broncos led the league in total yards in 1996 and 1997, a run that ended with the Super Bowl XXXII title in his last season. The Pro Football Hall of Fame elected him in 2008, 5 years after he became the Ring of Fame's first offensive lineman. He makes 9 of the 15 sources counted here.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Zimmerman - 13
Tom Nalen
In 1997 he made all 16 of Denver's regular-season starts at center, and he lined up there again in the Super Bowl XXXII win over Green Bay, the last of the club's 4 playoff wins that winter. He played center for Denver from 1994 through 2008. Picked 218th in 1994, he started 188 of his 194 games, and 6 different running backs ran for 1,000-yard seasons with him at center. He retired on January 6, 2009, and in 2023 he joined MIT's football staff as an assistant offensive line coach; his 5 Pro Bowls had come in 1997 through 2000 and 2003. 8 of the 15 honor rolls and rankings counted include him.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Nalen - 14
Dennis Smith
His 2 interceptions of Bernie Kosar, 1 of them in the 4th quarter, came with a trip to Super Bowl XXIV at stake against Cleveland after the 1989 season, and Denver won the AFC title game 37-21. Southern California's safety went to Denver in the 1981 draft, and he stayed through 1994. Earlier that season, in overtime at Seattle, he returned an interception 28 yards to the 10, and David Treadwell's field goal won it 1 play later. He made 6 Pro Bowls, finished with 30 interceptions, and played in Super Bowls XXI, XXII and XXIV, and back in 1984 he had run a New England fumble 64 yards for the winning touchdown. On 8 of the 15 sources in this count, you'll find his name.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dennis_Smith_(safety) - 15
Louis Wright
San Diego's visit on November 17, 1985, went to overtime, and he ended it by returning a blocked field goal 60 yards for a 30-24 win. His 12 seasons in Denver, 1975 through 1986, were spent at cornerback. His 3 interceptions in 1977 went for 128 yards and a touchdown as Denver reached Super Bowl XII, and in 1978 and again in 1979, the AP put him at corner on its All-Pro first team. He also brought a fumble back 82 yards for a score in 1979, earned 5 Pro Bowl nods, and Pro Football Hall of Fame voters rated him a second-team cornerback for the 1970s on their All-Decade Team. His count is 8 of the 15 sources counted for this list.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Wright_(American_football) - 16
Demaryius Thomas
Tim Tebow's pass on the 1st snap of overtime in a wild-card game against Pittsburgh on January 8, 2012, found him, and he took it 80 yards for a touchdown, 10 seconds that ended it 29-23. His time in Denver began with the 2010 draft and ended with an October 30, 2018, trade to Houston. He finished that game with 4 catches for 204 yards, and from 2012 to 2016 he had 1,000 or more receiving yards every season, with a Pro Bowl after each one. He was part of the Super Bowl 50 champions, and the Broncos put him in their Ring of Fame in 2025, the earliest he could go in. He shows up on 7 of 15 sources.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demaryius_Thomas - 17
Tom Jackson
The 4th quarter of Denver's playoff game against Pittsburgh after the 1977 season belonged to him: he made 2 interceptions of Terry Bradshaw, and each one set up a Broncos score in a 34-21 win. The Broncos found him at Louisville, and he gave them 14 seasons at linebacker, 1973 through 1986. That 1977 season also opened his Pro Bowl years, which ran through 1979, and 3 of his 20 career interceptions went back for touchdowns. He played in Super Bowls XII and XXI, 1 of 4 Broncos to appear in both, and after football he spent 29 years as an ESPN analyst. Of the 15 sources tallied for this list, he appears on 7.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Jackson_(American_football,_born_1951) - 18
Simon Fletcher
His 4 sacks against Minnesota on November 4, 1990, tied the Broncos' single-game record. Denver's 1985 draft brought him from the University of Houston, and he spent his whole NFL career there, 11 seasons through 1995. He had 16 sacks in 1992, and during a stretch he got at least 1 sack in 10 straight games, which tied the NFL record until Chris Jones broke it in 2018. When he retired, his 97.5 sacks were the most in Broncos history, and in May 2016 the team gave him a place in its Ring of Fame. Count him on 7 of the 15 sources behind this list.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_Fletcher_(American_football) - 19
Billy Thompson
As a 1969 rookie he topped the league in both kickoff return average, 28.5 yards, and punt return average, 11.5, the first player in pro football history to lead both in the same season. Out of Maryland State, he was a Broncos draft choice in 1969 and played safety and cornerback for the club through 1981. He finished with 40 interceptions and 21 fumble recoveries, 61 takeaways that set a club record, and his 784 interception return yards lead the team's history. His 4 touchdowns on fumble recoveries held up as the NFL's career mark for years. In 1987 he entered the Ring of Fame, after Pro Bowl selections for the 1977, 1978 and 1981 seasons. He's on 7 of the 15 sources counted here.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Thompson_(American_football) - 20
Al Wilson
He forced 2 fumbles against Jacksonville on October 2, 2005, and the league named him the AFC's top defender that week. He spent 8 seasons at linebacker in Denver, 1999 through 2006, after captaining Tennessee's 1998 national champions. He was named to Pro Bowls for 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005 and 2006. His first NFL touchdown was a 7-yard interception return against New Orleans on November 21, 2004. After a neck injury against Seattle on December 3, 2006, Denver released him on April 13, 2007, and he made his retirement official in September 2008. You can find him on 6 of the 15 honor rolls and rankings counted.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Wilson - 21
Jason Elam
Just before halftime on October 25, 1998, his 63-yard field goal against Jacksonville matched Tom Dempsey's 28-year-old NFL record for distance, and the record has fallen since. He was Denver's kicker from 1993 through 2007, 15 seasons in all, and was on both of the club's 1990s Super Bowl winners. He kicked in Pro Bowls after 1995, 1998 and 2001 and scored at least 100 points in every Denver season. When he left for Atlanta in 2008 his 395 field goals and 601 extra points were Broncos records, and his streak of 371 straight extra points, ended in 2002, had been the NFL record. He's named on 6 of the 15 sources in this count.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jason_Elam
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