By Jordan Long
The NFL Draft starts on Thursday, April 28th, and ends on April 30th. There have been many selections by the Denver Broncos over the years. The question is who was the most important one for the Denver Broncos in their history?
Some people may say it’s quarterback John Elway, the top quarterback to ever play exclusively for the Denver Broncos. The problem with this is Elway wasn’t drafted by Denver. The Baltimore Colts held the #1 pick in 1983. They went with Elway even though Elway made it clear he wasn’t going to play for the franchise. Denver traded with the Colts. The Colts received quarterback Mark Hermann, offensive tackle Chris Hinton, and Denver’s 1984 first-round pick who ended up being Ron Solt for Elway. Of course, the rest is history.
In 1990, Denver took a chance on tight end Shannon Sharpe in the 7th round. Now to me, he is the top tight end in NFL history. Some people think Tony Gonzalez is, but that is incorrect. Sharpe played in Denver from 1990 to 1999 and left for Baltimore in free agency for the 2000 to 2001 season. He came back to finish his career in Denver from 2002 to 2003. Before Sharpe, tight ends were used primarily to block. Sharpe changed the way tight ends were used. He was utilized in the passing game. Now franchises use tight ends to catch the football.
Looking at Sharpe’s numbers as a member of the Denver Broncos, he is second all-time in pass receptions and touchdowns to Rod Smith. Sharpe totaled 675 receptions and 60 touchdowns. Sharpe is 3rd in receiving yards for the Broncos at 8,439.
Tom Nalen might have been the best center the Broncos’ ever drafted. He was a 7th-round draft pick in the 1994 NFL Draft. He stayed in Denver for 14 years, a key part of the Broncos’ Super Bowl victories in Super Bowl 32 and 33.
Demaryius Thomas was a big part of the Broncos’ offense from 2010 to 2018. Thomas helped Denver win Super Bowl 50. The Broncos took him 22nd overall in the 2010 NFL Draft. All he did for Denver was catch the football totaling 655 catches for 9,055 yards, and 55 touchdowns. Sure, he was a crucial part of the Broncos offense but still not the most important pick in Bronco’s history.
The most important one is Terrell Davis. Before Davis came to Denver, John Elway led the Broncos to Super Bowls 21, 22, and 24. They lost all of them. In Super Bowl 21, Denver was beaten by the New York Giants by a score of 39-20. In Super Bowl 22, they met the then Washington Redskins. It looked like it could be Denver’s year after the 1st quarter, leading 10-0. Unfortunately, Denver gave up 42 straight points and lost the game 42-10. Super Bowl 24, they were drummed 55-10 by the San Francisco 49ers.
The Broncos took a chance by selecting Davis in the 6th round, 196 overall in the 1995 Draft. The Broncos didn’t know what they really were getting in him. 6th-round selections aren’t supposed to make an impact. They are just hoping to be on the team and be a role player.
Not for Terrell Davis. He became the Broncos’ starting running back. In his rookie year, Davis rushed for 1,117 yards and 7 touchdowns. The Broncos ended up 8-8 and missed the playoffs.
In 1996, his numbers improved for Denver, running for 1,538 yards and 13 touchdowns. Denver was the number 1 seed in the AFC Playoffs with a record of 13-3. This was a team that seemed like they were going to advance to the Super Bowl. Well, Jacksonville didn’t get that memo and beat the Broncos 30-27 in the Divisional Round. Some people think this was the most disappointing loss in Broncos’ playoff history.
In 1997, Davis ran for 1,750 yards and 15 touchdowns. Denver finished 12-4. Denver managed to earn a playoff spot as a Wild Card team at 12-4. Denver went all the way to Super Bowl 32. They knocked off Jacksonville in the Wild Card Round 42-17, beat Kansas City 14-10, and found a way to win against Pittsburgh by the final score of 24-21.
In Super Bowl 32, the Broncos were heavy underdogs to the Green Bay Packers. The Packers were the defending Super Bowl Champions and were 11-point favorites. That didn’t matter to the Broncos. They won the game 31-24. Davis missed the 2nd quarter due to a migraine headache but came back for the 2nd half. He was the MVP, rushing for 157 yards and 3 touchdowns.
Davis’ top year for Denver was in 1998. He ran for 2,008 yards and 21 touchdowns, capping off the year as league MVP. Denver went 14-2 but they didn’t have the best record in the NFL. The Minnesota Vikings were 15-1 that year but lost to the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC Championship Game. The Broncos beat Miami and the New York Jets before knocking off the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl 33.
Davis appeared in 4 games in 1999. His season ended in week 4. The Broncos faced the New York Jets. Quarterback Brian Griese threw an interception and Davis was trying to make a tackle but ended up tearing his ACL. Denver lost that game 21-13. He was not the same runner after that. Davis tried to come back but only played two more years, 2000 and 2001.
Davis finished his career with 7,607 rushing yards and 60 touchdowns in the regular season. What made him a Hall of Fame player and the most important draft selection in Broncos’ history was the playoffs. Davis wanted to play well in games that mattered. He did with 1,140 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns in the postseason. The Broncos won two Super Bowls with him. If Davis wasn’t on the team, Denver may not have had the playoff success like they did. He is no doubt the most important player ever selected by the Denver Broncos.
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