clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Fans help name Broncos ‘Top 100’ team - and the list is good

Obviously John Elway and Peyton Manning are there; the Orange Crush D players make the list; Randy Gradishar gets his due here. Fans know what’s up.

1986 AFC Championship Game - Denver Broncos v Cleveland Browns Photo by Jay Dickman/Getty Images

The Broncos Top 100 players of all-time came out today, and it’s quite a list.

There are the “well, obvi!” players - John Elway, Peyton Manning, Von Miller, Steve Atwater, Randy Gradishar...

And the “may never be in the ROF but totally deserve it” players - Lyle Alzado, Bob Swenson, Clinton Portis...

A bunch of “thank goodness he’s in there” players - Al Wilson, John Mobley, Karl Mecklenberg...

And most likely there are a few “probably should have been on the list” players - Rich Karlis, Tim Te...ahh nevermind.

No matter the debates that will happen over who is and who is not included, every name here is part of a franchise that has contributed to the Denver Broncos growing from a fledgling AFL team to a three-time Super Bowl champion that is second only to the New England Patriots in number of Super Bowl appearances (8) and has the second-best home field winning percentage in the league at 69.6 (including postseason).

More than 5,000 fans voted for the Broncos Top 100 Team during May as part of the NFL’s 100th year commemoration. Fans helped select the franchise’s greatest players along with Broncos alumni, team historian Jim Saccomano and senior digital reporter Andrew Mason.

The Broncos Top 100 Team, which features 47 offensive players, 46 defensive players and seven special-teams players, is one of three distinguished groups of formally recognized Broncos players, joining the Broncos Ring of Fame (est. 1984) and the Broncos 50th Anniversary Team (est. 2009).

Select members of the Broncos Top 100 Team will will be recognized on the field during the Broncos’ game against the Tennessee Titans Oct. 13 and will participate in fan-facing events during that Fantennial Weekend.

Check out your Top 100 team and let the debates begin!

Broncos Top 100 Team

Player Pos. Years
Player Pos. Years
Lyle Alzado DL 1971-78
Mike Anderson RB 2000-05
Otis Armstrong RB 1973-80
Steve Atwater S 1989-98
Champ Bailey CB 2004-13
Keith Bishop G 1980-89
Tyrone Braxton CB/S 1987-93, '95-99
Willie Brown CB 1963-66
Billy Bryan C 1977-88
Keith Burns LB 1994-98, '00-03, '05-06
Dwayne Carswell TE 1994-2005
Rubin Carter NT 1975-86
Barney Chavous DL 1973-85
Ryan Clady OT 2008-15
Dave Costa DT 1967-71
Ray Crockett CB 1994-2000
Eldon Danenhauer OT 1960-65
Terrell Davis RB 1995–2001
Brian Dawkins S 2009-11
Al Denson WR 1964-70
Elvis Dumervil DE/OLB 2006-12
Jason Elam K 1993–2007
John Elway QB 1983-98
Simon Fletcher LB/DE 1985–95
Steve Foley CB/S 1976-86
Cookie Gilchrist RB 1965, '67
Goose Gonsoulin S 1960-66
Darrien Gordon CB/PR 1997-98
Randy Gradishar LB 1974–83
Daniel Graham TE 2007-10
Howard Griffith FB 1997-2001
Mike Harden S 1980-88
Chris Harris Jr. CB 2011-present
Paul Howard G 1973-75, '77-86
Mark Jackson WR 1986-92
Rich Jackson DE 1967-72
Tom Jackson LB 1973-86
Charley Johnson QB 1972-75
Vance Johnson WR 1985-93, '95
Rulon Jones DE/OLB 1980-88
Tony Jones OT 1997-2000
Larry Kaminski C 1966-73
Greg Kragen NT 1985-95
Chris Kuper G 2006-13
Ken Lanier OT 1981-92, '94
Matt Lepsis T 1997-2007
Floyd Little RB 1967-75
John Lynch S 2004–07
Peyton Manning QB 2012-15
Brandon Marshall WR 2006-09
Ed McCaffrey WR 1995-2003
Bud McFadin DT 1960-63
Karl Mecklenburg LB 1983–95
Glyn Milburn RB/KR 1993-95
Von Miller LB 2011-present
Gene Mingo RB/K/KR 1960–64
John Mobley LB 1996-2003
Craig Morton QB 1977–82
Haven Moses WR 1972–81
Tom Nalen C 1994–2007
Riley Odoms TE 1972-83
Jake Plummer QB 2003-06
Clinton Portis RB 2002-03
Trevor Pryce DL 1997-2005
Bill Romanowski LB 1996-2001
Tom Rouen P 1993-2002
Jim Ryan LB 1979-88
Emmanuel Sanders WR 2014-present
Mark Schlereth G 1995-2000
Shannon Sharpe TE 1990-99, 2002-03
Dennis Smith S 1981-94
Neil Smith DE 1997-99
Paul Smith DE 1968-78
Rod Smith WR 1994-2006
Dave Studdard T 1979-88
Jerry Sturm G/C 1961-66
Bob Swenson LB 1975-83
Aqib Talib CB 2014-17
Lionel Taylor WR 1960-66
Demaryius Thomas WR 2010-18
Julius Thomas TE 2011-14
Billy Thompson S 1969–81
Keith Traylor LB/DT 1991-92, '97-2000
Danny Trevathan LB 2012-15
Frank Tripucka QB 1960–63
Jim Turner K 1971–79
Rick Upchurch WR/KR 1975-83
Bill Van Heusen P/WR 1968-76
Louis Vasquez G 2013-15
T.J. Ward S 2014-16
DeMarcus Ware DE/OLB 2014-16
Steve Watson WR 1979-87
Alfred Williams DE 1996-2000
D.J. Williams LB 2004-12
Darrent Williams CB 2005-06
Al Wilson LB 1999-2006
Sammy Winder RB 1982-90
Derek Wolfe DE 2012-present
Louis Wright CB 1975–86
Gary Zimmerman OT 1993–97