The Greatest First-Round Picks in Broncos History

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. That takes some of the fun out of the 2026 NFL draft for Broncos Country, but you never know; rumors are swirling that Denver could be looking to make a big move.

Although some of the joy of speculation has been sapped out of this year's draft, we can still preview the main event by looking back at Broncos history. Many of the Broncos' most pivotal, foundational players weren't drafted by them, like quarterbacks John Elway and Peyton Manning, among many notable others.

However, Elway played every one of his NFL snaps across 16 seasons with the Broncos. Manning played 14 years for the Indianapolis Colts before signing with the Broncos in 2012, precipitating one of the most dominant four-year runs in franchise history.

But what about the actual first-round picks in Broncos history? Which proved to be the most foundational picks who helped forge the Broncos' success as one of the NFL's winningest all-time franchises?

We'll talk about one from each decade, starting with the 1960s, and bring it up to the present day.

Floyd Little | RB | 1967

They call Little 'The Franchise' for a reason. Before he arrived in Denver, the Broncos were a losing franchise in the AFL.

Little proved to be a tide that lifted the Broncos to the next level, which is all the franchise needed to take it from there. He was a five-time AFL All-Star (Pro Bowl), and after the AFL/NFL merger, he led the league in rushing in 1971.

Little was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2010. Without him, there's a chance the Broncos could have faded into AFL irrelevance. The Broncos probably would have eventually left Denver, though, because they couldn't sell tickets until 'The Franchise' arrived.

Little passed away in 2021 at the age of 78.

Randy Gradishar | LB | 1974

Gradishar was one of the most dominant defensive players of his era. He was a seven-time Pro Bowler and a five-time All-Pro.

In 1978, Gradishar earned Defensive Player of the Year honors. For too long, he was kept out of the Hall of Fame, but that wrong was eventually righted in 2024 when he was finally enshrined.

Gradishar is one of, if not the, best defensive players in franchise history, and he and the Orange Crush defense helped give the Broncos their first-ever tast of the Super Bowl stage.

Steve Atwater | S | 1989

Steve Atwater and Brett Favre — Steve Atwater strip-sacks Brett Favre in Super Bowl XXXII. | RVR Photos-Imagn Images

The 'Smiling Assassin' arrived in 1989 and immediately helped get the Broncos to their fourth-ever Super Bowl. It was a losing affair (55-10 at the hands of the San Francisco 49ers), but Atwater was off to a good start.

Atwater played 10 seasons in Denver, earning seven Pro Bowl nods and four All-Pro selections. He was also part of the back-to-back World Champion teams of 1997 and 1998, that saw the Broncos finally get the Super Bowl monkey off their backs. Denver defended its World Championship the following season with gusto, winning Super Bowl XXXIII before Elway retired.

Atwater would play one more season for the New York Jets before retiring. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2020. Without him, the Broncos don't break the Super Bowl ice in 1997 and they definitely don't repeat.

Trevor Pryce | DL | 1997

Trevor Pryce and Chris Chandler — Trevor Pryce hits Chris Chandler in Super Bowl XXXIII. | RVR Photos-Imagn Images

Pryce's first two years in the NFL covered the Broncos' back-to-back Super Bowl seasons. That's how you start a career off with a bang. He would go on to play nine seasons for the Broncos.

Pryce became the key, consistent player on defense after those Super Bowl teams were dismantled. He had help, including from 1999 first-round linebacker Al Wilson, and others, but Pryce was the man on defense for Denver, especially in the early 2000s.

Pryce was a four-time Pro Bowler and a two-time All-Pro in Denver. In 2008, he departed in free agency, signing with the Baltimore Ravens. Between Baltimore and the New York Jets, Pryce played three more NFL seasons before retiring.

Pryce came close to getting a third ring with the Broncos when the 2005 club advanced to the AFC championship game at home. Ben Roethlisberger and the upstart Pittsburgh Steelers upset Denver at home. That was Pryce's last game as a Bronco.

Ryan Clady | OT | 2008

Clady was the last first-round pick Mike Shanahan made in Denver. While Shanahan's draft prowess was highly questionable in the mid-2000s, he punctuated his reign as head coach with a great first-round pick in Clady.

Clady started all 16 games at left tackle as a rookie, and was the first day-one rookie in NFL history to go all season without surrendering a sack. That earned him a second-team All-Pro nod his rookie year.

Clady was as reliable as it gets at left tackle for Denver for more than half of his career, starting all 16 games in each of his first five seasons, and earning consistent accolades along the way. In 2012, his injury fortune began to change, though.

Clady missed most of the 2013 season and all of the 2015 season, after which the Broncos traded him to the Jets. Clady didn't get to contribute on the field in 2015, but he still got a ring for Super Bowl 50 as he was part of the offseason roster.

Clady spent eight years in Denver, earning four Pro Bowl nods and three All-Pro selections. He's the best left tackle in team history not named Gary Zimmerman.

Some would argue that Clady is the best left tackle in franchise annals. He's certainly the best one that Denver ever drafted, but Garett Bolles is beginning to give Clady a run for his money there.

Von Miller | OLB | 2011

Von Miller, the G.O.A.T. — Von Miller celebrates another sack in Super Bowl 50. | Matthew Emmons-Imagn Images

Miller was the No. 2 overall pick in the draft, which was officially the highest pick the Broncos had ever qualified for in the draft. The Broncos are one of only a few teams to have never held the No. 1 overall pick.

Miller was a hit for the Broncos out of the gates, earning accolades and helping the team win the division and make the playoffs. Only a few short years into his career, though, he got into some trouble with the NFL's drug policy, serving a six-game suspension, and tore his ACL in 2013.

Then the Broncos signed DeMarcus Ware in free agency — Miller's lifelong idol — and things began to turn around. In 2014, Miller bounced back with a tremendous season alongside Ware, but both pass rushers saved their best for 2015's Super Bowl run.

Without Miller, the Broncos don't make it to Super Bowl 50, let alone win. Miller was a terror throughout the playoffs, and against the Carolina Panthers, he forced two takeaways, sacking Cam Miller multiple times, and finishing as the Super Bowl 50 MVP.

Miller continued to lead the Broncos after Manning's retirement in 2016. But the next several years would be a dark period for the Broncos, with an unprecedented stretch of losing.

Miller still did his thing and produced on the field, but injuries began to slow him somewhat. He was traded to the Los Angeles Rams in 2021, where he won another Super Bowl.

All in, though, Miller totaled 110.5 sacks as a Bronco, earning eight Pro Bowl selections and seven All-Pro nods. He helped bring home the club's third Lombardi Trophy and will one day retire as a Bronco. Miller is a lock to join Gradishar, Atwater, and other great Broncos, including former teammate Champ Bailey, in Canton.

Talk about a draft pick that altered franchise history.

Patrick Surtain II | CB | 2021

Surtain was the No. 9 overall pick, and he immediately made his presence felt, starting 15 of the 16 games he played. With just five seasons under his belt, Surtain is already a four-time Pro Bowler and a three-time All-Pro.

In 2024, Surtain helped lead the Broncos out of the worst stretch in team history, snapping the club's nine-year playoff drought. His performance that year was singular, and it earned him the Defensive Player of the Year award, making him just the second Bronco ever to take home that hardware (Gradishar).

Surtain is only 25 years old, smack-dab in the middle of his prime, and he's already super accomplished. And yet, why does it feel like the best is yet to come?

Like Gradishar, Atwater, Pryce, and Miller, Surtain was a franchise-altering first-round draft pick. It's going to be fun watching him continue to build his NFL legend, and maybe he can join those other defenders as a fellow Super Bowl contributor.

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