Best Late-Round Steals in Broncos History (And Why They Slipped)

Every NFL team has their fair share of late-round success stories. But Denver Broncos history is absolutely littered with them, dating back 50-plus years.

The Broncos only have one top-100 selection in this year's draft after trading for wide receiver Jaylen Waddle. That means, in order for the 2026 draft class to have some impact, the Broncos need one or two late-round hits.

We've examined the Broncos' first-round hits and some second-round legends, so now, let's take a look at some of the team's most notable draft steals over the years. In some cases, we'll also examine why these prospects slipped.

Keep in mind, the NFL draft didn't become the science that it is today until well into the late 20th century. Despite the data-driven nature of the modern NFL draft, teams still miss on players, and some guys fall who had no business falling.

Lyle Alzado | DL | 1971, Round 4

Alzado was a mid-round pick in the early-70s. He would go on to help anchor the 'Orange Crush' defense, and lead the Broncos to their first-ever Super Bowl berth.

Alzado played eight years in Denver, earning back-to-back Pro Bowl nods before he was traded to the Cleveland Browns. He also famously played for the Oakland Raiders, becoming a thorn in Denver's side for the last four years of his NFL career. He died young of a brain tumor at 43.

Tom Jackson | LB | 1973, Round 4

Jackson was one of the most prolific linebackers in Broncos history. He also starred on the Orange Crush defense alongside Hall-of-Famer Randy Gradishar.

Jackson may never get Canton recognition, but he's in the Broncos' Ring of Fame, totaling 14 seasons, three Pro Bowls, and three All-Pro nods. He went on to forge a successful broadcasting career at ESPN following his playing career.

Rick Upchurch | WR/R | 1975, Round 4

The Broncos had some major fourth-round hits in the '70s. Upchurch was certainly one of them, becoming a prolific receiver and returner in Denver.

Upchurch is a member of not one but two NFL All-Decade Teams ('70s and '80s). He earned four Pro Bowl selections and five All-Pro nods, as well as a place in the team's Ring of Fame. If he achieved what he did as a member of the Dallas Cowboys, he'd probably be in the Hall of Fame.

Steve Foley | DB | 1975, Round 8

The Broncos found a couple of gems in the 1975 draft. Foley played 11 seasons in Denver, his entire NFL career, and while he never earned individual accolades, he started 136 games at various spots in the secondary and was part of two Super Bowl teams.

Foley's 44 career interceptions still rank first in franchise history. Wrap your brain around that, knowing the caliber of defensive backs (including multiple Hall-of-Famers) that have worn the Orange and Blue over the decades. Pretty good for an eighth-round pick.

Foley is in the Broncos' Ring of Fame.

Keith Bishop | IOL | 1982, Round 6

Bishop was the man who famously said to John Elway, "We've got 'em right where we want 'em," when the Broncos were buried on their own 2-yard line in the 1986 AFC championship game in Cleveland. Elway marched the Broncos down the field in what became indelibly known as "The Drive."

Bishop played 10 years in Denver, contributing to three Super Bowl teams, and earning two Pro Bowl nods along the way. As a sixth-round pick, it's hard to find a late-round hit with the kind of staying power Bishop had, but the Broncos somehow found an even shinier diamond in the '90s.

Karl Mecklenburg | LB/DL | 1983, Round 12

Back in those days, the draft went on and on. Mecklenburg was a 12th-round pick and was part of the same rookie class as Elway and Gary Kubiak. Mecklenburg should be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

His absence in Canton is one of the great ongoing shames (shams) of the Hall of Fame. Mecklenburg started games for the Broncos at every spot in the front seven, earning six Pro Bowl nods and four first-team All-Pro selections.

Alas, Mecklenburg was never able to win the big one, but he contributed to those three Elway Super Bowls the Broncos lost in '80s. He got too old and banged up to hang around in time for the Mike Shanahan era, retiring after the 1994 season. Shanahan took over in '95.

Mecklenburg is one of the greatest Broncos of all time. He's in the Ring of Fame, and maybe one day, like Gradishar, he'll find himself in Canton.

Tyrone Braxton | DB | 1987, Round 12

Braxton began his NFL career as a cornerback before moving to safety. He played 12 of his 13 seasons in Denver, starting 132 games.

Like Hall-of-Famer and fellow starter Steve Atwater, Braxton was around for the '80s-era Super Bowl humiliations, but hung around to help turn the Broncos around. Braxton was a starter on the Broncos' back-to-back World Championship teams of 1997 and 1998.

Braxton earned one Pro Bowl nod as a Bronco. He's deserving of Ring-of-Fame recognition, and maybe one day, he'll get in, like Foley.

Shannon Sharpe | TE | 1990, Round 7

Sharpe was drafted as a big wide receiver, but the Broncos switched him to tight end. He became the most prolific tight end in NFL history, helping to revolutionize the position.

Sharpe was a loud leader, and he eventually embraced his responsibilities as a blocker, making him a complete player. He set all sorts of tight end receiving records and retired as Denver's second-leading receiver all time.

Sharpe earned eight Pro Bowl nods, four first-team All-Pro selections, was a member of the NFL's All-Decade Team of the '90s, and won two Super Bowls in Denver. He temporarily left Denver and won another ring with Baltimore, before returning to the Broncos for the final two seasons of his career.

Sharpe is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the Broncos' Ring of Fame. He's one of the NFL's greatest players ever and he was a seventh-round pick out of Savannah State.

Tom Nalen | C | 1994, Round 7

Tom Nalen and John Elway — Tom Nalen snaps to John Elway in Super Bowl XXXII. | Peter Brouillet-Imagn Images

Is there a more egregious ongoing Hall-of-Fame snub than Nalen? Mecklenburg has a great argument, but Nalen won two Super Bowls and was one of the most decorated centers of his era.

Nalen played 14 years in Denver, starting a whopping 188 games. He earned five Pro Bowl nods and three All-Pro selections (two first-team).

There is no viable argument for Nalen's exclusion from the Hall of Fame. He's a Ring of Famer, at least. Hopefully, Nalen's Canton status gets rectified because he stands as one of the greatest centers in the history on the NFL.

Terrell Davis | RB | 1995, Round 6

Davis fell in the draft because NFL teams weren't sure what to make of him. Some teams questioned how much he loved football, and he almost quit during the preseason of his rookie year.

Thankfully, Davis didn't jump on a plane to fly back home from Tokyo, Japan, and suited up in that preseason game where he made a special teams tackle that made Shanahan and the coaches take notice of him. Shanahan saw something in Davis, though, and he was the Broncos' RB1 by the season-opener.

The four-year run Davis would embark upon was perhaps the most prolific by a running back ever. He earned three Pro Bowl nods and All-Pro selections, won two Super Bowls, posted a 2,000-yard rushing season, and was named NFL MVP in 1998

A knee injury cut Davis's career tragically short, but he eventually found his way to the Hall of Fame. What a late-round find by the Broncos.

21st Century Draft Steals

Mike Anderson | RB | 2000, Round 6
Cooper Carlisle | OG | 2000, Round 4
Ben Hamilton | OG | 2001, Round 4
Chris Myers | C | 2005, Round 6
Brandon Marshall | WR | 2006, Round 4
Elvis Dumervil | OLB | 2006, Round 4
Chris Kuper | OG | 2006, Round 5
J.D. Walton | C | 2010, Round 3
Eric Decker | WR | 2010, Round 3
Julius Thomas | TE | 2011, Round 4
Malik Jackson | DL | 2012, Round 5
Danny Trevathan | LB | 2012, Round 6
Matt Paradis | C | 2014, Round 6
Justin Simmons | S | 2016, Round 3
Josey Jewell | LB | 2018, Round 4
Justin Strnad | LB | 2020, Round 5
Quinn Meinerz | OG | 2021, Round 3
Jonathon Cooper | OLB | 2021, Round 7
Luke Wattenberg | C | 2022, Round 5

The Broncos have unearthed many diamonds in the rough over the past 25 years. Some of them are still with the team, going strong.

Who knows? Maybe the Broncos have their eye on one or two more in the 2026 draft class. They could certainly use it with no first or third-round pick this year.

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