The 30 Greatest Denver Broncos Players of All Time

By YPB TeamJun 4

Hall-of-Famers, Super Bowl heroes, and franchise cornerstones from six decades of Broncos football — legends at every position. Who reigns supreme?

1
John Elway
The legendary quarterback who spent all 17 NFL seasons with the Broncos, leading them to five Super Bowl appearances and holding franchise passing records.
1000pts
2
Peyton Manning
Hall of Fame quarterback who led Denver to Super Bowl 50 and set multiple NFL records during his four legendary seasons with the Broncos.
524pts
3
Floyd Little
Denver's first true franchise player and Hall of Famer who carried the team through its formative early years in the 1960s and 70s.
394pts
4
Rod Smith
The undrafted receiver who became Denver's all-time leader in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns across his 12-year career.
333pts
5
Shannon Sharpe
Hall of Fame tight end and two-time Super Bowl champion with Denver who set the standard for receiving tight ends in the modern era.
167pts
6
Karl Mecklenburg
The versatile six-time Pro Bowl linebacker who anchored Denver's Orange Crush defense throughout the 1980s.
167pts
7
Champ Bailey
The Hall of Fame cornerback widely considered one of the greatest defensive backs in NFL history during his nine All-Pro seasons in Denver.
48pts
8
Terrell Davis
The explosive running back who rushed for 1,000+ yards in each of his first four NFL seasons and earned Super Bowl MVP honors in Super Bowl XXXII.
48pts
9
Demaryius Thomas
The beloved wide receiver who starred in Denver's historic 2013 offense and was a key target during the Manning era.
1pts
10
Von Miller
The pass-rushing force who holds franchise records for career sacks and was named Super Bowl 50 MVP for his dominant performance.
1pts
11
Steve Atwater
The hard-hitting safety and eight-time Pro Bowler who anchored Denver's defense through two Super Bowl championships in the late 1990s.
0pts
12
Randy Gradishar
The tackling machine at the heart of the Orange Crush defense from 1974 to 1983, named 1978 NFL Defensive Player of the Year and inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2024.
13
Tom Jackson
The fiery Orange Crush linebacker who spent 14 seasons in Denver from 1973 to 1986, made three Pro Bowls and played in two Super Bowls.
14
Goose Gonsoulin
An original 1960 Bronco who made the first interception in AFL history and was named to five of the league's first six All-Star teams at safety.
15
Frank Tripucka
The franchise's first quarterback, who threw for more than 3,000 yards in the inaugural 1960 season and whose No. 18 was retired by the club.
16
Lionel Taylor
The sure-handed end who became the first pro player to catch 100 passes in a season in 1961 and led the AFL in receptions five times as a Bronco.
17
Rich Jackson
Nicknamed 'Tombstone,' the feared defensive end and his trademark head slap earned All-Pro honours in 1969 and 1970 during five seasons in Denver.
18
Gene Mingo
An original 1960 Bronco who scored the AFL's first punt return touchdown and, as halfback and kicker, led the league in scoring in 1960 and 1962.
19
Lyle Alzado
The ferocious defensive end of the Orange Crush from 1971 to 1978, a first-team All-Pro in 1977 when Denver reached its first Super Bowl.
20
Rick Upchurch
One of the greatest return specialists ever, he spent his whole career in Denver from 1975 to 1983 and scored eight punt return touchdowns, tying the NFL record.
21
Simon Fletcher
The relentless pass rusher who spent all eleven seasons in Denver, played in three Super Bowls and retired with a then-franchise record 97.5 sacks.
22
Tom Nalen
The five-time Pro Bowl center who anchored Denver's zone-blocking line from 1994 to 2007, including the back-to-back Super Bowl champions of 1997 and 1998.
23
Jason Elam
Denver's all-time leading scorer, the kicker won two Super Bowls with the club and tied the NFL record with a 63-yard field goal in 1998.
24
Ed McCaffrey
Elway's trusted target in two Super Bowl wins, he posted three straight 1,000-yard seasons, including 101 catches in 2000.
25
John Lynch
The hard-hitting Hall of Fame safety made the Pro Bowl in each of his four seasons in Denver from 2004 to 2007 and joined the Ring of Fame.
26
Clinton Portis
Ran for more than 1,500 yards in both of his seasons in Denver, winning 2002 Offensive Rookie of the Year before being traded for Champ Bailey.
27
DeMarcus Ware
The Hall of Fame pass rusher joined late in his career, made the Pro Bowl in 2014 and harassed Cam Newton in the Super Bowl 50 victory.
28
Chris Harris Jr.
The undrafted cornerback became a four-time Pro Bowler and a pillar of the 'No Fly Zone' secondary that won Super Bowl 50.
29
Justin Simmons
The ball-hawking safety and team captain who spent eight seasons in Denver, earning four second-team All-Pro selections and two Pro Bowls.
30
Pat Surtain II
The shutdown cornerback of the current Broncos, named 2024 NFL Defensive Player of the Year after another season of erasing top receivers.