History of No. 12 Overall Pick Could be a Harbinger for Broncos in 2024

The Denver Broncos hold the No. 12 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft and history suggests it's a sweet spot.

With the season over for the Denver Broncos, it’s time to look forward to the offseason and the upcoming NFL draft in April. Denver finished their disappointing 2023 campaign with an 8-9 record and will select No. 12 overall this year.

Coincidentally, this will be the third time in the last 20 years that the Broncos possess the No. 12 overall selection. Back in 2008 (Mike Shanahan's final draft class), Denver used No. 12 overall to select a player who could be argued as the best tackle in franchise history — Ryan Clady. 

The Broncos used the same pick the following year to draft running back Knowshon Moreno, who became a fan favorite despite injury concerns and a lack of productivity early in his career. Before departing in free agency the following year, Moreno blossomed with Peyton Manning in 2013 with his first 1,000-yard rushing season, finishing with 1,586 yards and a whopping 13 touchdowns from scrimmage (10 rushing). 

While it remains to be seen how the Broncos will utilize their first day-one selection since 2021, history reveals that incredible talent can be found with this particular selection. There have been some spectacular additions to the NFL ranks over those 20 years, including a handful of players that most people will recognize immediately. 

2023: Jahmyr Gibbs | RB | Detroit Lions

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Career stats: 15 games played, 182 carries, 945 yards, & 10 touchdowns; 52 receptions, 316 yards, & two touchdowns.

As a rookie, Gibbs showed his dynamic play-making ability as a change-of-pace back for the explosive Lions offense. Gibbs had 10 rushes of 20-plus yards, good for the second-most of any player.

2022: Jameson Williams | WR | Detroit Lions

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Career stats: 18 games played, 25 receptions, 395 yards, & two touchdowns

Williams’ career got off to a rocky start due to needing to recover from a torn ACL he suffered in his final year at Alabama. He also was suspended for the first six games of the 2023 season for violating the league’s gambling policy. 

While the jury is still out on judging Williams' career to date, there have been flashes of the dynamic vertical receiving ability that got him drafted this high two years ago. 

2021: Micah Parsons | LB | Dallas Cowboys

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Career stats: 50 games played, 213 tackles (142 solo), 40.5 sacks, seven forced fumbles (four recoveries), AP Defensive Rookie of the Year, two-time first-team All-Pro, three-time Pro Bowler

Despite being one of the highest rated players in the class, Parsons slid down the board due to character concerns and questions about how to properly deploy him in a defensive scheme. Those didn’t seem to matter to Dallas, who turned him into one of the most feared players in the league. 

Parsons has the ability to wreck an offense’s game plan with his ability as a pass rusher. 

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2020: Henry Ruggs III | WR | Las Vegas Raiders

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Career stats: 20 games played, 50 receptions, 921 yards, & four touchdowns; 12 carries, 63 yards, & three touchdowns

When Ruggs was available for the Raiders, his electrifying speed caused teams to have to account for his ability to take the top off of the defense with ease. He famously caught a game-winning touchdown pass against the New York Jets on the last play of the game, burning a cover zero blitz from defensive coordinator Gregg Williams. 

Ruggs’ career was cut short due to his actions in a car accident that killed a woman and her dog. He pled to manslaughter charges and received a prison sentence of three to 10 years. 

2019: Rashan Gary | Edge | Green Bay Packers

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Career stats: 73 games played, 179 tackles (103 solo), 31.5 sacks, & five forced fumbles (six recoveries)

Gary started off his career as a rotational pass rusher for the Packers' defense, but it quickly became apparent that he was incredibly dynamic coming off of the edge. 

In 2021, Gary posted career highs in sacks, tackles, and forced fumbles in a breakout campaign. His 2022 season was cut short due to a torn ACL, but his early season performance in 2023 following his recovery netted him a new four-year, $96 million deal as he became one of the cornerstone players for the Packers.

2018: Vita Vea | DL | Tampa Bay Buccaneeers

Career stats: 79 games played, 180 tackles (111 solo), 23.5 sacks, three forced fumbles (two recoveries), one Pro Bowl, & Super Bowl Champion

Vea is one of the most dominating nose tackles in the league, especially against the run. While his ability to get after the quarterback as a pass rusher shouldn’t be overlooked (he has 16 total sacks over the past three seasons), he has been practically unmoveable from the 1-technique in his career. 

Vea finished the 2023 season with the ninth-highest run stop percentage of any defensive lineman in the league. He’s been an elite player for years. 

2017: Deshaun Watson | QB | Houston Texans

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Career stats: 66 career games played, 66.5 completion percentage (1390/2089), 16756 yards, 118 touchdowns, 45 interceptions, AP Rookie of the Year, & three-time Pro Bowler

Watson stepped into the spotlight quickly as a rookie and took the NFL world by storm before suffering a devastating ACL injury in his seventh career game. Upon recovery, he became one of the NFL's brightest stars, leading the league in passing yards in his fourth year. 

Watson's several off-field transgressions and a pair of injury-marred seasons have derailed his once-promising career, but his talent is undeniable. He was traded to Cleveland in 2022. 

2016: Sheldon Rankins | DL | New Orleans Saints

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Career stats: 109 games played, 228 tackles (146 solo), 29.5 sacks, five forced fumbles (three recoveries), & one defensive touchdown

More reliable than spectacular, Rankins has carved out a solid career as an interior defensive lineman. After a good run with the Saints, he spent a couple of years as a rotational player for the Jets before having his best season since 2018 as a member of the Houston Texans. 

Rankins was spectacular in 2023, posting his second-highest mark with six sacks on the season. 

2015: Danny Shelton | DL | Cleveland Browns

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Career stats: 101 games played, 278 tackles (138 solo), six sacks, one forced fumble (zero recoveries), & two-time Super Bowl Champion

An absloute mountain of a man, Shelton was projected as an elite run defender with limited upside as a pass rusher, and several questions about his conditioning and motor as an every-down defender. He lived up to that billing and bounced around the league in the latter part of his career because of so. 

After winning a Super Bowl with the New England Patriots in 2018, Shelton spent time with the Lions as a starter and the New York Giants as a rotational player. He was also a member of the Kansas City Chiefs team that won the Super Bowl in 2022. 

2014: Odell Beckham Jr. | WR | New York Giants

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Career stats: 110 games played, 566 receptions, 7932 yards, 59 touchdowns, AP Rookie of the Year, two-time All-Pro, three-time Pro Bowl, & Super Bowl Champion

There was a point in time when Odell Beckham Jr. was considered the best wide receiver in the league because of his elite ability to run after the catch and his spectacular one-handed catches that littered highlight tapes all over the media landscape.

He was unrecoverable and unstoppable at times. Injuries have put a damper on his career (including a torn ACL in the Super Bowl a couple of seasons ago), but his 2023 performance with the Baltimore Ravens could have him as one of the hottest commodities on the free agent market heading into 2024.

Here are a few other top names drafted at No. 12 overall in the modern era. 

• 2012: Fletcher Cox | DL | Philadelphia Eagles
• 2007: Marshawn Lynch | RB | Buffalo Bills 
• 2006: Haloti Ngata | DL | Baltimore Ravens 
• 2005: Shawn Merriman | OLB | San Diego Chargers 
• 2004: Jonathan Vilma | LB | New York Jets

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