The 2020 NFL Draft is officially over. Now comes the part of the NFL year that Denver Broncos fans and all other fans have the most fun with: Those classic draft analysis discussions.
So who are the biggest NFL Draft steals in Broncos history? Let's try to figure that out.
5. Paul Smith
The Broncos might have one of the easier top-5 NFL Draft steals to name in the entire league.
Denver selected Paul Smith in the ninth round (222nd overall) of the 1968 NFL Draft. The defensive lineman would then spend 11 of his 13 seasons in the league with the Broncos (he spent his last two with the Washington Redskins).
Smith played before sacks became an official stat. His career spanned from 1968 to 1980 and sacks were not a stat until 1982. So there is a little speculation going on.
But it's believed that Smith would have racked up 55.5 sacks in his career. That would put him at sixth on the all-time sacks list in Broncos history (although that wouldn't be counting all the other players that were hurt by the stat's late entry).
Smith made two Pro Bowls in his career, both with the Broncos. He was consistently a major presence on the defense.
He is part of Denver's Ring of Fame.
4. Tom Nalen
The Broncos drafted Tom Nalen in the seventh round (218th overall) in 1994. He would go on to spend all 14 of his NFL seasons with Denver.
With the Broncos, Nalen anchored one of the better offensive lines the NFL has seen. They were consistently helping produce big seasons from running backs.
He made five Pro Bowls and two first team All-Pros. The Broncos also won two Super Bowls during Nalen's run.
Nalen is one of the most consistent centers of all-time. Out of a possible 208 starts in the last 13 years of his career, Nalen made 195 of them.
Getting a solid offensive lineman in any round is a positive. Getting the franchise's best center ever in the seventh round though? That's a massive steal.
3. Karl Mecklenburg
The Broncos selected Karl Mecklenburg in the 12th round (310th overall) of the 1983 NFL Draft. Mecklenburg would go on to play his entire 12-year career in Denver.
The linebacker/defensive end posted massive numbers in that time too. That included 1,118 tackles and 79 sacks. He also had 16 forced fumbles, 14 fumble recoveries, five interceptions and two defensive touchdowns.
Mecklenburg made six Pro Bowls and was a first team All-Pro three times. His 79 sacks are third most in team history and his 1118 tackles (a little harder to track) are second for the franchise.
Denver somehow managed to find Mecklenburg in the 12th round, before the draft was reduced to seven rounds.
In fact, Mecklenburg would have an incredible case to take the number one spot if it wasn't for the top two.
2. Terrell Davis
If we're being honest, the top-2 on this list are almost interchangeable.
Terrell Davis was taken in the sixth round (196th overall) of the 1995 NFL Draft. He had arguably the best four-year start to a running back's career in NFL history.
Davis spent all seven of his seasons in the NFL with the Broncos. In that time, he racked up 7,607 rushing yards on 1,655 carries (4.6 yards per carry) and 60 touchdowns. He's the franchise leader in all of those stats.
The running back even added 169 receptions for 1,280 yards and another five touchdowns in the air. What's crazy about those numbers is how Davis ended his career. The last three seasons saw him run for a combined 1,194 yards due to injury.
That means his first four seasons saw Davis rack up 6,413 rushing yards.
Davis ran for 1,117 yards and seven touchdowns his rookie season. Then he ran for 1,538 yards and 13 touchdowns in his sophomore year. He followed that up with 1,750 yards and 15 touchdowns the next year. And finally, Davis finished that insane run with 2,008 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns in his fourth year.
Is there a better stretch ever for a running back?
Davis made three Pro Bowls and three first team All-Pros. He's a two-time AP Offensive Player of the Year and a one-time MVP. Davis also has two Super Bowls (and one SB MVP award) under his belt.
Davis was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017. His career was cut short due to injuries but when he was in his prime, few were better than TD. The Broncos got an all-time great with pick 196.
1. Shannon Sharpe
Shannon Sharpe gets the edge over Davis for a few reasons. First of all, he's a seventh round pick (although he was taken earlier than Davis was, at pick 192). Second (and this is the big one), Sharpe had a longer career.
The tight end spent 12 of his 14 years with the Broncos. In those 12 seasons in Denver, Sharpe racked up 675 receptions (second-most in franchise history) for 8,439 yards (third-most in franchise history) and 55 receiving touchdowns (third-most in franchise history).
In the two years away from Denver (with the Baltimore Ravens), Sharpe kept up the high level of play. He finished his career with 815 receptions for 10,060 yards and 62 receiving touchdowns.
Sharpe made eight Pro Bowls (seven with the Broncos) and four first team All-Pros (all with Denver). He also won three Super Bowls, back-to-back-to-back. Two were with the Broncos in 1998 and 1999, and the last was with the Ravens in 2000.
He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2011.
He's one of the greatest tight ends of all-time, the greatest NFL Draft steal in the history of the Broncos.
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