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Broncos All-Time Draft Steal Team: Offense
These draft picks were definitely steals for the Denver Broncos.
While the Denver Broncos have had their share of failed draft picks, they've also had their share of success stories. Some such success stories come when least expected.
That would be the draft day steals — the players who slid down the draft board, and were taken in the later rounds, only to go on to become quality players and, in some cases, all-time greats in Broncos history.
And so, as I put together an offense and defense of the biggest busts in Broncos draft history, I do the same with the biggest steals of all time.
In order to be a steal, the player had to be taken no earlier than the fourth round. Once you get to that round, that's when you're expecting depth players. Anything beyond that is a bonus. Also, no undrafted players were selected (though maybe someday we can try putting together a team of the best undrafted Broncos players in history).
We'll start with the offense, where I'll list a quarterback, a running back, three wide receivers, a tight end, and an offensive line. You're more likely to find familiar names here because, after all, people seldom forget a draft-day steal.
Quarterback: Trevor Siemian (R7/2015)
Dec 10, 2017; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Trevor Siemian (13) drops back to pass in
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The Broncos have pretty much gotten what they've expected from the quarterbacks taken in the later rounds — they were backups at best and, in some cases, they didn't last. But they did get a feel-good story out of Siemian for one season.
A seventh-round pick in 2015, Siemian claimed the starting job in 2016 and started 14 games. He put up some respectable numbers, completing 59.5 percent of his passes with 18 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
Unfortunately, things didn't last with him. After Gary Kubiak stepped down as head coach, Siemian never had the same success. Still, to get a solid season out of a seventh-round pick was more than one could have expected.
Running Back: Terrell Davis (R6/1995)
Jan 31, 1999; Miami, FL, USA; FILE PHOTO; Denver Broncos running back Terrell Davis (30) carries the
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We come to the first member of the All-Time Draft Steal Offense in which the saying goes like this: "If you don't know who this player is, you have no business calling yourself a Broncos fan."
Davis was a sixth-round pick in 1995 and was relegated to special teams to open training camp. But he made a big tackle on a kick return that caught the attention of the coaching staff in the preseason, and was named the starter.
The rest, as they say, is history. Davis rushed for 7,607 yards on 1,655 carries with 60 touchdowns in seven seasons with the Broncos. His run included accolades like a Super Bowl MVP, an NFL MVP award after he surpassed 2,000 yards rushing in 1998, ad three first-team All-Pro honors, and three Pro Bowl selections. And though it took a while, he was ultimately elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Wide Receivers: Brandon Marshall (R4/2006), Mark Jackson (R6/1986) & Rick Upchurch (R4/1975)
Jan 11, 1987; Cleveland, OH, USA; FILE PHOTO; Denver Broncos receiver (80) Mark Jackson celebrates
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We start our receiver corps with Marshall, a 2006 fourth-round pick who played college football at Central Florida. That Marshall played at a smaller school may have been why his draft stock wasn't high.
But in 2007, Marshall broke out with 102 receptions for 1,325 yards with seven touchdowns. He then earned Pro Bowl trips in 2008 and 2009. Though he was later traded to the Miami Dolphins, he made an impact in his brief time with the Broncos.
The next member is Jackson, a sixth-round pick in 1986. While Jackson never had a 1,000-yard receiving season, he was a steady performer for the Broncos, catching 276 passes for 4,4746 yards and 24 touchdowns in seven seasons.
Perhaps Jackson is best known for a particular moment toward the end of his rookie season. He caught the touchdown that capped 'The Drive' in the 1986 AFC championship game against the Cleveland Browns. The Broncos went on to win the game in overtime and head to Super Bowl XXI.
Upchurch, our final wide receiver steal, was known more for his work as a returner. A fourth-round pick in 1975, Upchurch established himself in 1976 as one of the best return men in the game, with four punts returned for scores and a first-team All-Pro nod.
Upchurch was also good as a receiver, with his best season being 1979 when he caught 64 passes for 937 yards and seven touchdowns. He finished his nine-year career with the Broncos with 4,369 yards receiving and 24 touchdown receptions, plus eight punts returned for scores, and he was named to the Broncos Ring of Fame.
Tight End: Shannon Sharpe (R7/1990)
Jan 31, 1999; Miami, FL, USA; FILE PHOTO; Denver Broncos tight end #84 Shannon Sharpe catches a pass
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Sharpe was a seventh-rounder in 1990 and almost didn't make it with the Broncos. But in 1992, he caught on and broke out with 53 receptions for 640 yards and two touchdowns for his first Pro Bowl nod.
The graduate of Savannah State went on to catch 675 passes for 8,439 yards and 55 touchdowns in 12 seasons with the Broncos. Add in his two years with the Ravens and Sharpe surpassed 10,000 receiving yards. He is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Offensive Line: Ken Lanier (R5/1981), Trey Teague (R7/1998), Keith Bishop (R6/1980), Tom Nalen (R7/1994) & Chris Kuper (R5/2006)
Jan 11, 1998; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; FILE PHOTO; Denver Broncos offensive players Brian Habib (75),
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Let's start with the offensive tackles, in which Lanier was an easy choice for a draft-day steal. A fifth-round pick in 1981, he came along slowly but solidified himself as the starting right tackle in 1982, holding that distinction for 11 straight seasons.
The other offensive tackle was tougher to nail down, but the Broncos did get some solid play out of Teague, a seventh-round pick in 1998 who started at left tackle for all 16 games in 2001. Teague also played long snapper in 1999, but may have had his best years with the Buffalo Bills, for whom he started at center from 2002 to 2005.
At offensive guard, we start with Bishop, a sixth-round pick in the 1980 NFL draft. While Bishop was a depth player in 1980 and 1982 (he missed the 1981 season with injuries), he claimed a starting job in 1983 and held it for seven seasons, earning Pro Bowl nods in 1986 and 1987.
The other offensive guard is Kuper, a fifth-round selection in 2006. Kuper was a depth player as a rookie, but claimed a starting job in 2007 and held that job for five seasons. He was a solid contributor while playing for three different coaching staffs
And If you don't know who the center is, indeed, you have no business calling yourself a Broncos fan. In fact, this player may be the best offensive lineman to ever play for the Broncos.
Nalen, a seventh-round pick in 1994, opened his rookie season on the practice squad, but was called up late in the season and started one game. He then went on to start 187 games over the next 13 seasons.
Nalen went to five Pro Bowls, garnered two first-team All-Pro selections, and is a member of the Broncos Ring of Fame.
In our next installment, we'll look at the all-time draft day steals on defense.
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