7 Rounds, 1 Decade: Top Broncos Draft Picks of the 2000s

As we enter the final days before Denver Broncos training camp starts, we'll continue our look at the team's best draft picks in each round from each decade. The exercise goes like this: We find the best Broncos draft pick in each of the seven rounds from the four most recent decades.

In this installment, we'll look at the 2000s.

During this decade, the Broncos managed to find some quality players, and five of the players on this list became long-term contributors, with a couple who have good cases for the Ring of Fame and one who played on the team that won Super Bowl 50.

Let's go over those seven players who stood out in each of the seven rounds from the years 2000 to 2009.

Round 1: Ryan Clady, OT, 2008

While players such as D.J. Williams and Jay Cutler were considered, Clady stood out as the first-round pick who was with the Broncos for multiple seasons and became a key player when the Broncos entered the Peyton Manning era.

Clady started all 16 games as a rookie, securing AP All-Pro second-team honors. He went on to earn first-team All-Pro honors in 2009 and 2012 and four Pro Bowl bids. Injuries cut his 2013 and 2015 seasons short, though, and if that hadn't happened, he might have built a Hall-of-Fame career.

Round 2: Clinton Portis, RB, 2002

Though Portis wasn't with the Broncos for that many seasons, there's no question he made an impact in his short time with the team. In two seasons, he rushed for 3,099 yards on 563 carries with 29 touchdowns.

The Broncos traded him to Washington in 2004, as part of a trade that landed cornerback Champ Bailey. Portis remained a productive player, though, and while Bailey would produce a Hall-of-Fame career, there's little question that Portis was worth that second-round pick.

Round 3: Ryan Harris, OT, 2007

The 2007 draft overall wasn't kind to the Broncos but things worked out well with their third-round selection that year. Harris became a starter in 2008, playing all 16 games at right tackle, then starting 18 more games in the next two seasons.

Harris didn't play in 2011 and failed to make the Broncos' final roster in 2012. But after spending two seasons with the Houston Texans and a third with the Kansas City Chiefs, He returned to the Broncos in 2015 and started at left tackle for the season, punctuated by a Super Bowl win.

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Round 4: Elvis Dumervil, DE, 2006

The 2006 draft was a good overall draft for the Broncos, and while fourth-round pick Brandon Marshall (the wide receiver) was considered, Dumervil got the nod for his long-term contributions to the team.

Dumervil gained a starting job in 2007 and became one of the Broncos' top pass rushers for five of the next six seasons (he missed 2010 with a torn pectoral muscle). He had 63.5 sacks, 100 quarterback hits, and 16 forced fumbles during his time with the Broncos. He then played four seasons with the Baltimore Ravens and one with the San Francisco 49ers.

Round 5: Chris Kuper, OG, 2006

We stick with that same draft year to find the best fifth-round selection of the 2000s. Kuper didn't start as a rookie, but in 2007, he started 11 games at left guard.

Kuper switched to right guard in 2008 and started at least 15 games in the next four seasons. Injuries limited him to six combined starts in 2012 and 2013.

Kuper came back to the Broncos to be an assistant offensive line coach from 2019 to 2021 and is currently the offensive line coach for the Minnesota Vikings.

Round 6: Mike Anderson, RB, 2000

The Broncos gained a reputation for finding productive running backs in late rounds of the draft not only with the sixth-round selection of Terrell Davis in 1996, but with the selection of Anderson, who gave the Broncos a productive running back at a time that Davis struggled with injuries.

As a rookie, Anderson rushed 1,487 yards on 297 carries with 15 touchdowns. He was with the Broncos through 2005 (he missed the 2004 season) and rushed for 3,822 yards on 865 carries with 36 touchdowns. He played his final two seasons in the NFL with the Ravens.

Round 7: Peyton Hillis, RB, 2008

And here is another running back who caught the attention of Broncos fans when he stepped in at running back during the 2007 season when the team lost multiple ball carriers to injury.