9 Best Denver Broncos of All Time, Ranked

While today’s NFL betting market for the Super Bowl champion often favours a team like the Kansas City Chiefs, and we had the New England Patriots dynasty before that, I’d argue that the Denver Broncos teams from the 1990s (and late 1980s) are another prominent era of a franchise sometimes overlooked due to the Dallas Cowboys success during that decade. 

However, if online sports betting were around during those days, the Broncos would’ve been often wagered on as they won back-to-back Super Bowls in the 90s.

Bettors who backed the Broncos back then would’ve done especially well during Super Bowl XXXII, as the football odds favoured their opponent, the Green Bay Packers, who were 11-point favourites. 

Many of the Broncos best players of all time come from this era, but there’s more to be aware of.

Below, I’ve ranked the top nine Broncos players to suit up for the franchise. 

Check it out. 

Who Are the Best Denver Broncos?

1. John Elway

A winner of back-to-back Super Bowls (XXXII and XXXIII), Elway called it a career following their Super Bowl XXXIII win over the Atlanta Falcons. In that game, he threw for 336 yards, one touchdown, and one interception and was named the MVP. 

Elway won his first Super Bowl, Super Bowl XXXII, the year before. Prior to that win, he was on the losing end of three between 1987 and 1990. 

Elway struggled in that game, though, completing 12 of 22 passes for 123 yards and no touchdowns. Nonetheless, this win led to the infamous clip from then-Broncos CEO Pat Bowlen, in which he hoisted the Lombardi and uttered the phrase, “This one’s for John!” 

In addition to the Super Bowls, Elway was the MVP of the league in 1987 and was the Man of the Year in 1992. He was a three-time second-team All-Pro, made nine Pro Bowls, was the passing leader in 1993, and the Broncos retired his No. 7. 

He finished his career with a record of 148-82-1. He completed 4,123 passes on 7,250 attempts for 51,547 yards and 300 touchdown passes. All of those stats, including the quarterback wins, are Broncos records. 

For context, his passing yards are roughly triple what Peyton Manning did during his time with the team, and Manning’s 17,112 passing yards are second in franchise history.

He retired following the Super Bowl XXXIII victory and is enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. 

2. Von Miller

Miller played for the Broncos from 2011-2021 after going No. 2 overall in the 2011 NFL Draft. 

Following Elway’s Super Bowl win before the turn of the century, the next Broncos Super Bowl title came at Super Bowl 50 against the Carolina Panthers. 

Miller was named MVP of the game after racking up 2.5 sacks, five solo tackles, two forced fumbles, and one pass defended. 

His performance was massive in elevating them to a 24-10 win after quarterback Peyton Manning could only muster 141 passing yards, no touchdowns, and one interception. 

Miller was named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2011. Throughout the remainder of his Broncos career, he was three-time first-team All-Pro, four-time second-team All-Pro, and went to eight Pro Bowls. 

He’s the franchise leader in sacks with 110.5 and forced fumbles with 25. No other player in Broncos history has cleared 100.0 sacks. 

3. Terrell Davis

After breaking the record held by Floyd Little for more than two decades, Terrell Davis cemented himself in Broncos lore as the franchise’s all-time leading rusher. 

Davis rushed for 7,607 yards on 1,655 attempts and 60 touchdowns (also franchise records) despite playing just 16 games over the final three seasons of his NFL career. 

However, what landed him at No. 3 on my list here was his performances during the 1997 and 1998 seasons, where he was a massive part of the back-to-back Super Bowl title wins. 

Just look at these regular season stats in those two years: 

• 1997: 369 carries for 1,750 rushing yards, 15 rushing touchdowns, 58 targets, 42 receptions, 287 receiving yards. 
• 1998: 392 carries for 2,008 rushing yards, 21 rushing touchdowns, 38 targets, 25 receptions, 217 receiving yards, and two receiving touchdowns. 

Simply put, that is an absurd amount of production. 

Thankfully for the Broncos, that regular-season success carried into the postseason. In those two postseasons, he combined for 190 carries, 1,049 rushing yards, 11 rushing touchdowns, 17 targets, 12 receptions, and 107 receiving yards. In both Super Bowl wins, he rushed for over 100 yards and was named Super Bowl XXXII MVP after scoring three touchdowns. 

He was the NFL MVP for the 1998 season, was a two-time Offensive Player of the Year, three-time first-team All-Pro, made three Pro Bowls, was the rushing yards leader in 1998, the rushing touchdowns leader in 1997 and 1998, and is enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. 

Davis really only got to play four healthy seasons, and I can’t help but wonder what his numbers would have been if he had stayed healthy in his final three. 

4. Shannon Sharpe

Playing for the Broncos from 1990 to 1999 and again from 2002 to 2003 after a brief stint with the Baltimore Ravens, Sharpe was a seventh-round draft pick and No. 192 overall out of Savannah State as a wide receiver, but the Broncos moved him to tight end a couple of seasons into his career. 

With the Broncos, he was part of the Super Bowl XXXII and XXXIII squads, was four-time first-team All-Pro, received a second-team All-Pro nod, and went to seven Pro Bowls. 

Sharpe holds the record for the most receiving yards in a game by a tight end with 214. This came in a game against the Chiefs on Oct. 20, 2002, with the Broncos. 

Sharpe finished his career with the Broncos with 978 targets (third), 675 receptions (second), 8,439 yards (third), and 55 touchdowns (third). Ahead of him are two wide receivers. The next closest tight end is Riley Odoms, who has 5,755 yards and 41 touchdowns. 

He’s enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and is one of the best tight ends to play. 

5. Champ Bailey

Bailey’s list of accolades is stunning. He came to the Broncos in 2004 and stayed through 2013. Before that, he played for Washington from 1999 to 2003. 

While with the Broncos, Bailey was a four-time first-team All-Pro, two-time second-team All-Pro, and an eight-time Pro Bowler, and he was the interception leader in 2006 with 10 while not surrendering a single touchdown. He finished second in the Defensive Player of the Year voting. 

He finished his career with 34 interceptions (fourth), three pick-sixes (tied for third), 122 passes defended (first), five forced fumbles (tied for ninth), two sacks, and 524 solo tackles (10th). 

Bailey is enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

6. Steve Atwater

After going No. 20 overall in the 1989 NFL Draft, Atwater played for the Broncos from 1989 to 1998. During that time, he won two Super Bowls, was two-time first-team All-Pro, one-time second-team All-Pro, and went to eight Pro Bowls. 

In Super Bowl XXXII, he finished with six solo tackles, one sack, a forced fumble, and two passes defended. 

Enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Atwater, a safety, finished his career with 24 interceptions (10th), five forced fumbles, and 1,038 solo tackles (third). 

7. Randy Gradishar

A linebacker for the Broncos from 1974 to 1983, Gradishar was the No. 14 overall selection in the 1974 NFL Draft. 

He was Defensive Player of the Year in 1978 and is credited as being the team’s all-time leading tackler.

Gradishar was two-time first-team All-Pro, three-time second-team All-Pro, and went to seven Pro Bowls. 

He was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame as part of the 2024 class. The anchor of the Broncos’ 1977 Orange Crush defence, the team allowed the fewest points (148 in 14 games) and the sixth-fewest yards.  

8. Rod Smith

There’s just one player in Broncos history who exceeded 10,000 receiving yards, and his name is Rod Smith. 

Playing 183 games for the team from 1994 to 2007 (he didn’t play at all in 2007, though), Smith saw 1,408 targets, caught 849 passes, went for 11,389 yards, and caught 68 touchdowns. 

Those are all Broncos franchise records. 

He was on the Super Bowl XXXII and XXXIII squads. While he didn’t make a catch on three targets in Super Bowl XXXII, he rebounded massively in Super Bowl XXXIII with five receptions for 152 yards and a score. 

Smith was a two-time second-team All-Pro, went to three Pro Bowls, and led the league in receptions in 2001 with 113. 

He had 1,000 receiving yards or more in all but four seasons he suited up for. 

While he’s not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, he’s enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame. 

9. Floyd Little

Davis holds the rushing record now, but as I mentioned, Little held that title for more than two decades, with 6,323 yards. He also had 1,641 carries and 43 rushing touchdowns. As you’d expect, those are also second to Davis now. 

Enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Little was a first-team All-Pro in 1969, went to five Pro Bowls, led the league in rushing yards in 1971, was the co-lead in rushing touchdowns in 1973, and the Broncos retired his No. 44.