The Best Second-Round Gems in Broncos History (And How They Were Found)

The Denver Broncos don't have a first-round pick this year after trading it and a third-rounder to Miami for wide receiver Jaylen Waddle. The Broncos' first pick in the 2026 NFL draft is their second-round pick, No. 62 overall.

Today, I'm going to illustrate just how potent the right second-round selection can be for the Broncos. Over the years, they haven't hit on every single one, obviously, but some franchise-impacting players in team history have come via Round 2.

Dialing it way back, the Broncos found studs in the second round like defensive linemen Barney Chavous (1973), Rulon Jones (1980), and Simon Fletcher (1985), and one of the 'Three Amigos,' wide receiver Vance Johnson (1985), among others.

Many of the Broncos' biggest second-round hits, though, have come in the 21st century. Let's take a look at the biggest successes and how they landed in Denver.

Ian Gold | LB | 2000

Gold became a star weakside linebacker in Denver. He didn't start right away, but he eventually took his place alongside Al Wilson. When D.J. Williams arrived by way of the first round in 2004, the Broncos had one of the best 4-3 linebacker duos in the NFL.

Gold earned one Pro Bowl nod during his eight-year career (all with the Broncos), finishing with 527 career tackles, 17 sacks, four interceptions, nine forced fumbles, and 10 fumble recoveries.

Clinton Portis | RB | 2002

The Broncos thought they had found their long-term successor to Terrell Davis in Mike Anderson, who'd rushed for a franchise-record 1,487 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2000. Alas, injuries set Anderson back in 2001, forcing the Broncos to rethink their running back plan.

Enter Portis by way of the University of Miami (FL). Although Anderson started 12 games during Portis's rookie season, it was the former Hurricane who literally took the ball and ran with it, breaking the very record Anderson had set two years prior.

Portis totaled 1,508 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns as a rookie. From there, Anderson took a back seat. Portis followed up his explosive rookie campaign with 1,591 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns in 2003.

The future of Mike Shanahan's rushing attack looked brighter than ever. Unfortunately, the Broncos kept getting torched by Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts in the playoffs, and Shanahan knew he needed help in the secondary, so he parlayed Portis into a blockbuster trade with Washington to bring Champ Bailey.

That move shocked Broncos fans at the time, but it reshaped Broncos history. Portis went on to have some good seasons in Washington, but Bailey built a Hall of Fame resume in Denver, and came close to getting a ring in Super Bowl XLVIII.

Darrent Williams | CB | 2005

Williams's career was tragically cut short by a bullet outside a night club following the 2006 season, but his two years in Denver were extraordinary. He was a ballhawk, picking off six passes in two seasons, and totaling two forced fumbles and four fumble recoveries.

Williams was also a prolific returner during his short NFL career in Denver. Had he not been murdered, his career trajectory would have taken him to some great individual and team heights. His personality was infectious, his love for football great, and his talent immeasurable.

Rest in peace.

Derek Wolfe | DL | 2012

Much like this season, the Broncos didn't have a first-round pick in 2012. Wolfe was the team's first selection of the draft, and he immediately made an impact as if he were a first-rounder.

Wolfe started from Day 1. And while he never earned any individual accolades, he was one of the NFL's best interior defenders for years, and even in the face of some unfortuante injuries, he was a big contributor in the Broncos' Super Bowl 50 championship.

In Wolfe's eight-year career as a Bronco, he totaled 33 sacks and 299 tackles from the inside. He's one of the Broncos' best defensive draft picks of this era.

Courtland Sutton | WR | 2018

Sutton stepped into an experienced and prolific wide receiver room that included the late Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders. By the end of the 2018 season, Thomas had been traded away, and Sutton had taken his starting spot.

The Broncos traded Sanders the next season, and their wide receiver room became Sutton's. He delivered out of the gates, posting his first 1,000-yard season in 2019, earning a Pro Bowl nod, despite catching passes from three different starting quarterbacks.

After tearing his ACL the following year, Sutton went through a few subsequent so-so seasons, but he suffered from quarterback purgatory. Finally, though, the Broncos got him a true franchise quarterback, drafting Bo Nix in 2024.

Since then, Sutton has posted back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons and earned his second Pro Bowl nod in 2025. He's on his third contract as a Bronco and is now the wise, old vet in the locker room. But as a great leader, he puts that wisdom to good use for the Broncos.

Nik Bonitto | OLB | 2022

The Broncos didn't have a first-rounder in 2022 either, but they hit it out of the park with Bonitto has their first pick in the class. Bonitto didn't exactly start off with a bang, but by the end of 2023, he'd become a major contributor in the rush linebacker rotation.

2024 was Bonitto's big break-out, but it required an injury befalling Baron Browning to create the space for it. Bonitto was the backup, and Browning got hurt to open the season, which vaulted Nik into the starting lineup.

Bonitto never looked back, going on a sack rampage and rendering Browning expendable. The Broncos traded Browning to Arizona as Bonitto ascended.

Bonitto totaled 13.5 sacks in 2024 and he scored two defensive touchdowns, which put him in the Defensive Player of the Year conversation, which, of course, ended up being won by Pat Surtain II. Bonitto earned Pro Bowl honors for his 2024 body of work.

From there, the Broncos paid Bonitto a massive extension the following summer, and he immediately repaid them with a 14-sack season. This time, Bonitto earned Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors.

At just 26 years old, Bonitto and Surtain are two of the young star defenders in their prime on Denver's defense. The future is bright for this unit.

Marvin Mims Jr. | WR/PR | 2023

Just like 2022, Mims was Denver's first pick in the draft. While he hasn't gone on to star on offense, he certainly has on special teams as a returner.

Mims became the first Bronco besides Von Miller to earn back-to-back All-Pro honors to open his career. The accolades didn't flow in Mims's direction last year, but he did deal with a concussion that set him back a few weeks in the middle of the season.

Mims has been one of the keys to the Broncos' turnaround under head coach Sean Payton. And he was, of course, the first draft pick of the Payton era.

The Broncos have a decision to make with Mims, though, as he's entering a contract year. It'll be a surprise if he doesn't garner an extension, considering his draft pedigree and resume.

The Takeaway

It's certainly noteworthy that three of the second-rounders on this list came in a draft year when the Broncos didn't have a first-round selection. Current Broncos GM George Paton is responsible for two of those selections, so he's confident in finding another gem in 2026.

"We’ve fortunately been there before I think two different times. We have a good feel for that," Paton said at the NFL owners meetings back in March. "We can hone in. It doesn’t mean we won’t trade up at some point, but we’ll have a really good feel for the 62nd pick or whatever we’re picking... We have a pretty good feel of that realm.”

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