The Very Best of the Denver Broncos

After getting this idea from the great slideshow made by Dennis Venhuis, I decided to throw in my two cents as to who I would name as the starters on the depth chart of the All-Time Denver Broncos, covering all decades of the team's existence.

If you feel a player was snubbed, please let me know!

Starting Quarterback: John Elway

John Elway is the poster child for Denver Broncos football. When one utters "Denver" or "Broncos", the image of Elway immediately comes to mind. I wasn't alive for the 1983 draft, but whoever pulled the trigger on the John Elway trade should have a bronze head right next to Elway's in the Hall of Fame.

Elway may not have the flashy statistics that Brett Favre and Dan Marino have, but he has one statistic Denver fans wouldn't trade for any other: A 64.3% winning percentage. Number seven is enshrined in both the College and Pro Football Hall of Fame, and has been a part of some of the greatest moments in sports history. While he was on the wrong side of the Cal-Stanford game that ended in "The Play", he flew threw the air in Super Bowl 32 in what is recognized as the defining play of his career.

Starting Running Back: Terrell Davis

If not for John Elway's name being so prominent, Terrell Davis would have been the reason I decided to make the Broncos my favorite NFL team.

Davis played seven NFL seasons, and in that short amount of time, his list of accolades and awards rivals those of almost any other back in NFL history.

"TD" was a three-time first team All-Pro, an NFL MVP, a Super Bowl MVP, a three-time Pro Bowl selection, and was named to the 1990's All-Decade Team. He finished his career with just 7,607 rushing yards, but has been a Hall-of-Fame finalist two years in a row.

Davis was the MVP of the 1998 season in which the Broncos beat the Falcons in Super Bowl XXXIII and he ran for 2,008 yards and 21 touchdowns. Oh yeah, he was also the 196th pick in the 1996 NFL Draft.

Davis still holds the NFL record for most points scored by any position player in a single postseason, when he ran for eight touchdowns in the 1997 postseason.

Starting Fullback: Howard Griffith

Okay, so I may be a bit biased towards the late 90's Denver Broncos team, but honestly, Howard Griffith deserves this starting job. It is definitely no coincidence that the Broncos won the Super Bowl the year Griffith joined the team.

When he left the Carolina Panthers as a free agent, Griffith was very excited to hit the open market, and his first visit was Denver. He had planned on contemplating Mike Shanahan's offer while visiting other cities, but the former Broncos head coach wouldn't let Griffith leave the facilities without signing the deal. And the rest, as they say, is history.

In the 1997 AFC Championship game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Griffith made an unbelievable one-handed catch that converted a big third down for the Broncos, that had he not caught it, Denver may still be looking for their first Lombardi Trophy. This guy was a superb blocker, and was built like a Greek god.

Griffith was so good at his craft that his teammates dubbed him "The Human Plow", and the best fullback in Denver Broncos history was handed two touchdown runs in the 1998 Super Bowl victory over Atlanta, despite the NFL and Super Bowl MVP Terrell Davis lining up behind him.

Starting Wide Receiver: Rod Smith

I don't know if there was a bigger mistake that every team, including the Denver Broncos made by not drafting wide receiver Rod Smith. To make matters even worse, the New England Patriots signed and cut Smith before he made the trip to Denver.

Rod Smith may go down as the best undrafted player to ever lace up the cleats, and it seemed like destiny from the very start. After a slew of injuries at the receiver position forced Smith into the lineup late in a heated game against the Washington Redskins in 1995, the Broncos found themselves in a "hail mary" situation near the end of the game. John Elway rocket fired a deep ball that resulted in an extraordinary catch by Rod Smith, and his first NFL catch ended up being the game winner.

Since then, Smith has become a three time Pro Bowl selection and two time All-Pro, and is the one and only undrafted receiver to reach the 10,000 yard plateau. He is also the owner of every receiving record for an undrafted player, and also holds every major Denver Broncos receiving record.

Starting Wide Receiver: Lionel Taylor

Starting opposite Rod Smith is the second leading receiver in Denver Broncos history, Lionel Taylor. Taylor was a four time AFL All-Star, and was the first wide receiver to catch 100 passes in a single season.

One of the first Broncos players to be enshrined in the team's Ring of Fame, Taylor led the AFL in receptions every year for the leagues first six seasons in existance.

Starting Tight End: Shannon Sharpe

If there is a player who revolutionized the tight end position other than Shannon Sharpe, please, point him out.

In 1990, Dan Reeves drafted an oversized wide receiver out of Savannah State with the 192nd overall pick in the draft, and after a mediocre season at receiver, coach Reeves convinced Sharpe to convert to a tight end.

Much to his displeasure, Shannon agreed to the change, and I don't think a day goes by in his life that he regrets it.

From 1991 on, Sharpe became arguably the greatest tight end to ever play the game. He was an eight time Pro Bowl selection, five time All-Pro, three time Super Bowl champion, and a selection to the 1990's All-Decade team.

In terms of receiving, only Tony Gonzalez of the rival Kansas City Chiefs has posted better statistics at the tight end position than Sharpe. Shannon was named as a finalist for the 2009 Hall of Fame inductees, and could be enshrined as soon as this year.

Starting Left Tackle: Gary Zimmerman

The most recent of the Denver Broncos' Hall of Fame inductees is former left tackle Gary Zimmerman. Zimmerman was dominant both in his days with the Broncos and Minnesota Vikings, and was a seven time Pro Bowl selection and eight time All-Pro selection.

Starting Left Guard: Keith Bishop

Bishop was a stalwart for the Broncos' offensive line for the 80's, and was selected to the Pro Bowl two times.

Starting Center: Tom Nalen

This one's a no-brainer. Not only is Nalen one of the top centers in Denver Broncos history, he is also one of the best centers in NFL history. Nalen was selected to five Pro Bowls, and helped anchor the offensive line that won two Super Bowls for Denver.

Nalen is my Dad's favorite player for the Broncos because in the midst of the autograph hoopla that goes on at Training Camp, he made efforts to claw through the group and sign for the little kids that couldn't get to the front. He is a fan favorite, and deserves this spot.

Starting Right Guard: Mark Schlereth

Most people know Schlereth for his work done with ESPN, but he was a great NFL player to boot. Known for his strange antics on the field, Schlereth's greatest moment in Denver Broncos history is the famous shot of him and John Elway sharing a laugh in the end-zone in Super Bowl 33.

The former tenth round draft pick of the Washington Redskins was a two-time Pro Bowl selection.

Starting Right Tackle: Ken Lanier

Lanier isn't given enough credit for what he did with the Broncos. He was a starter for most of the 80's, and played with the Broncos from 1981-1992, 1994 while spending the 93' season with Los Angeles.

Starting Defensive End: Lyle Alzado

Alzado was an All-Rookie selection, A three time All-Pro, and a two time Pro Bowl selection with the Broncos. He was a pass rushing specialist, and as the picture indicates, he was a mean dude. In eight years with the Orange Crush, Alzado totaled 64.5 sacks.

Starting Defensive Tackle: Rubin Carter

Carter may be the best Denver Bronco never to have made it to the Pro Bowl. Still, Broncos fans know him well as the nose tackle that anchored their Orange Crush defense back in the late 70's.

Starting Defensive End: Trevor Pryce

Pryce didn't have to wait long for success in the NFL. After Mike Shanahan selected him in the first round of the 1997 NFL Draft, the Denver Broncos won two Super Bowl's in a row. With the Broncos, Pryce made it to four Pro Bowls, and posted 64 sacks from 1997-2005.

Starting Outside Linebacker: Karl Mecklenburg

Karl Mecklenburg is one of my very favorite historic Denver Broncos. He was a 12th round pick in 1983, and carried that chip on his shoulder throughout his very impressive career.

In 12 years with the team, he compiled 79.5 sacks, good for second in Denver Broncos history.

He was named to six Pro Bowl games, and five All-Pro teams. Mecklenburg is widely known around Denver Bronco nation as one of the biggest Hall of Fame snubs in franchise history, and definitely deserves the recognition.

Starting Middle Linebacker: Randy Gradishar

Another one of Denver's biggest Hall of Fame snubs is middle linebacker Randy Gradishar.

Aside from being one of the best linebackers in Ohio State football history, Gradishar is also arguably the best linebacker to ever play for the Denver Broncos. He was a seven time Pro Bowl selection, seven time All-AFC selection, and a five time All-Pro selection with Denver. He was one of the rare linebackers to ever have been considered for the Heisman Trophy award.

Starting Middle Linebacker: Al Wilson

Wilson was the anchor for the Denver Broncos' defense from 1999-2006, and was unfortunately released due to a spinal injury he suffered late in the 2006 season.

Al was another fan favorite of the Denver Broncos, and he personified toughness. The five time Pro Bowl selection and two time All-Pro led a Broncos linebacking group that was widely considered the best in the NFL from 2003-2006.

Starting Outside Linebacker: Simon Fletcher

It would be an absolute catastrophe if we didn't include the Denver Broncos' All-Time leader in sacks.

Simon Fletcher had 97.5 total sacks in his career, and held the NFL record for ten straight games with a sack.

He is the only player in Broncos history with double-digit sacks in five straight seasons, and had over 800 career tackles.

Starting Cornerback: Louis Wright

Wright (20) was his decade's Champ Bailey. He was named to the 1970's All-Decade team, and was widely considered the best cornerback in the game at that time.

He played his entire 12 year career with the Broncos where he recorded 26 interceptions, one for a touchdown.

Starting Cornerback: Champ Bailey

Bailey is considered to be one of the best cornerbacks in the game today, maybe in the history of the league.

Champ is an eight time Pro Bowler, six time All-Pro, and has more interceptions than any other cornerback this decade.

Champ's arrival in Denver brought the Broncos what we fans thought was the 2006 Defensive MVP, where he recorded 10 interceptions and over 90 tackles. The future Hall of Famer is still perfecting his craft in the league today.

Starting Free Safety: Steve Atwater

It's a joke, really, that Atwater has yet to be enshrined in the Hall of Fame.

The eight time Pro Bowl selection, three time Pro Bowl selection, and a 1990's All-Decade selection.

He is known as one of the most feared safeties to play the game, and sometimes he even knocked himself out he hit so hard. Atwater is one of the greatest leaders in Broncos history.

Starting Strong Safety: Dennis Smith

To complete the best All-Time secondary in NFL history, we have Dennis Smith.

Smith, along with Atwater, was one of the most feared safeties in the league, and was named to six Pro Bowls, four All-Pro teams, and was named to the Denver Broncos Ring of Fame.

Smith is also widely considered to be a Hall of Fame snub.

Kicker: Jason Elam

It was very fitting that Jason Elam's probable last kick as a Denver Bronco was a game-winner in overtime against the Minnesota Vikings.

Elam needs no introduction or explanation, as he is widely considered to be one of the greatest kickers the game has ever seen.

The three time Pro Bowl selection is tied for the NFL record with a successful field goal attempt of 63 yards.

Kick Returner: Darrien Gordon

Gordon was only with the Broncos for two seasons, but they were arguably the best years of his NFL career.

In his career, Gordon was a four time All-Pro, and had 4,128 all-purpose yards, and nine total touchdowns. Six of which were return TD's.