Who Were The Best And Worst Draft Picks In Broncos’ History?

Good morning, Broncos Country!

I decided to dip back into the draft well for a topic this Saturday. With all of the drama of the blockbuster trade for Jaylen Waddle leading up to the draft, we never really did the typical pre-draft fodder. And it’s late June now, so I figured why not throw it out there for discussion.

The best

When discussing the best draft pick in Denver Broncos history, I have to consider draft position and how their careers ended up. Meaning, a late round pick to Hall of Fame career is far more impressive than a first round pick to the same gold jacket.

That means, I’ve got to go with tight end Shannon Sharpe for this one. Drafted in the seventh round of the 1990 NFL Draft, Sharpe’s journey to greatness was one of revolutionizing a position he didn’t have the size to play… at least, according to most NFL scouts in 1990. Yet, Sharpe defied expectations and helped redefined a position.

Terrell Davis would be a close second for me. Drafted in the sixth round of the 1995 NFL Draft, Davis’ career was short but explosive. He would win Super Bowl MVP honors and easily the greatest playoff running back in NFL history. Both players’ were vital to those Super Bowl victories in the late 90s.

The worst

For the worst draft pick it has to be none other than quarterback Paxton Lynch.

Selected 26th overall in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft, Lynch was expected to be the franchise’s quarterback of the future after Peyton Manning retired following the Super Bowl 50 championship. The hype surrounding his selection was mixed thinking back. Some of us went all in on hopium and others rallied behind Trevor Siemian. It’s clear who won that battle, but in the end us fans lost the war with a decade of mediocrity.

Lynch’s selection in the 2016 draft actually kicked off nearly a decade of struggles for the franchise. Not his fault, just an ironic coincidence. I would be hard-pressed to find another draft pick that set back the franchise more than that one.

How about you? Who would you pick for your best and worst Broncos’ draft picks of all-time?

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