Today we check in on the five-best NFL draft picks in Denver Broncos history. Despite recent success, there was a time over a half a century or so ago that the Broncos were the laughing stock of west coast football.
From 1963-1972, the Broncos failed to put up a single winning season. They won a total of 39 games in that 10-year span. Fortunately for fans in Denver, it’s been all uphill since. They have put up 33 seasons of .500 or better football over the past 42 years. One of the primary reasons for this is that the Broncos have done a stellar job drafting.
Here are the five-best NFL draft picks in Denver Broncos history.
1. Terrell Davis, Running Back (Sixth Round, 196th Pick in 1995)
Davis was the 21st running back selected in the 1995 draft after he put up just 1,657 yards in 32 games at Georgia. The three running backs selected ahead of him, Travis Jervey, Cory Schlesinger and Dino Philyaw, combined for less than 2,000 total rushing yards in the NFL. Davis put up that total number in 1998 alone.
As one of the best late-round picks in the history of the National Football League, Davis helped lead the Broncos to two consecutive championships, winning the MVP of Super Bowl XXXII in a 31-24 victory over the Green Bay Packers. That game saw Davis score three touchdowns including the game winner in the fourth quarter.
While Davis’ success didn’t have the lifespan of other upper-echelon running backs in league history, he did put up what has to be considered the best three-year stretch in the history of the NFL. From 1996-1998, Davis tallied over 6,000 total yards and 53 touchdowns.
Unfortunately for Davis, he was never the same following the 1998 season. He put up less than 1,300 yards and just four touchdowns in his final three NFL seasons. This is one of the primary reasons that Davis is still waiting for enshrinement in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
2. Lyle Alzado, Defensive Line (Fourth Round, 79th Pick in 1971)
Alzado may be best known for admitting that steroid use was the likeliest cause of a cancer diagnosis that eventually cost him his life back in 1992 at the age of 43 (via The New York Times).
But that’s only what we read in the headlines and heard from the man himself prior to his untimely demise.
During the height of his playing days with the Denver Broncos and after that the Cleveland Browns and Los Angeles Raiders, Alzado was one of the fiercest competitors and hardest hitters in the game. He started 98 games in eight seasons with Denver, earning two Pro Bowl and three All-Pro selections during that span.
In 1974, Alzado put up one of the best seasons for a Broncos player in the history of the franchise. He recorded 80 tackles and 13 sacks (unofficial) in route being honored as one of the best defenders in the league.
Overall, Alzado recorded an unofficial eight-plus sacks in all six of his full seasons with the Broncos before moving on to Cleveland and recording 24.5 sacks in three seasons. He ended up winning a title with the Raiders after they defeated the Washington Redskins 38-9 in Super Bowl XVIII.
3. Brandon Marshall, Wide Receiver (Fourth Round, 119th Pick in 2006)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9q52pUl8vZM
Marshall was the 16th receiver selected in the 2006 NFL draft, sandwiched between the likes of Will Blackmon and Skyler Green, who have combined for three career receptions. In fact, Blackmon has only played defensive back and special teams in his career, while Green played a total of 11 career games in three seasons.
As a rookie in 2006, Marshall played a more important role in Denver’s offense than originally anticipated. He recorded 309 yards and two touchdowns in 15 games, including one start.
It was the next season, however, that saw Marshall break out big time. Catching passes from another young player in the form of Jay Cutler, he tallied his first of three consecutive 100-reception seasons. The next year saw Marshall breakout in the mind of the rest of the league, as he earned his first of what are now five Pro Bowl trips.
In four often divisive seasons in Denver, Marshall put up 327 receptions for 4,019 yards and 25 touchdowns. Despite his relatively short stint with the Broncos, Marshall ranks eighth in franchise history in receptions and 12th in receiving yards.
After putting up a couple solid seasons in Miami, Marshall is back at the top of his game as a member of the Chicago Bears. While only having eight years of pro experience, Marshall ranks 12th among active receivers in receptions, 13th in receiving yards and 12th in touchdown catches. Not too shabby for the 119th player selected in the 2006 draft.
4. Rick Upchurch, Wide Receiver (Fourth Round, 95th Pick in 1975)
Pretty much an unknown player outside of Denver, Upchurch was one of the first electrifying return men in the history of the league. Selected as the 95th overall pick out of Minnesota in 1975, the burner may not have had a huge impact on offense, but he was still able to tally over 4,300 receiving yards and 24 touchdowns in nine seasons with the Orange Crush.
It was, however, on special teams that 5’10” receiver earned his keep.
In 1976, Upchurch broke a NFL record by returning four punts for touchdowns. The following season, he helped lead the Broncos to their first Super Bowl appearance and amassed 125 all-purpose yards in a 27-10 beat down at the hands of the Dallas Cowboys.
All said, he earned three trips to the Pro Bowl and four First-Team All-Pro honors in nine seasons in Denver. He still holds the NFL record with eight career punt returns for touchdowns.
5. Karl Mecklenburg, Defensive End (12th Round, 310th Pick in 1983)
A fixture during one of the most successful runs in Denver Broncos franchise history, Mecklenburg was an afterthought as the 310th player selected in the 1983 draft. To put it into perspective, if he entered the NFL today, the former six-time Pro Bowl performer would have been about 70 picks away from actually being drafted. He’s one of the arguments for expanding the draft itself.
Coming out of a small school in South Dakota called Augustana before transferring to Minnesota, Mecklenburg was always a long shot to make it professionally. He earned a spot on the Broncos roster as a rookie due to an impressive training camp and actually contributed 24 tackles and two sacks that season.
After two more years as a backup, he finally earned a chance to start and didn’t give up that role until he retired 10 years later. When all was said and done, Mecklenburg finished his Broncos career No. 2 on their all-time sack list at 79.5. He earned one of his three All-Pro honors during a 1989 season that saw the Broncos defense rank first in the NFL in points against.
Despite getting torched by the 49ers in the Super Bowl that season, his 20 AV (approximate value) according to Pro Football Reference, ranked No. 1 among all players in the NFL. Not too shabby for someone that was the Broncos’ 12th selection and final in the 1983 draft.