One of the things that has been emphasized over the years in the National Football League is that the annual player selection draft is a vital building block to a successful organization.
This year’s Super bowl champions, the Green Bay Packers, did a great job with a roster heavy on players selected in the draft.
The Denver Broncos have had that same type of success when we have had our greatest teams, and there is no question that the Broncos understand and respect that concept. This year the Broncos have the second pick in the entire draft and six selections overall. Three of the Broncos’ choices fall in the first 50, but later round selections can make a big impact as well.
In the American Football League years before the merger Denver had little chance of signing its top draft choices, who chose to go with the established National Football League teams that had taken them. So even though Broncos history shows that Denver’s selections included eventual Hall of Famers Merlin Olsen (the 1962 draft) and Dick Butkus (1965) as the team’s first selections, Denver had little chance financially of competing for their services.
After the merger was completed 1967 was the first year in which the AFL and NFL held a common draft. Since and including that 1967 draft, this year’s selection is the earliest the Broncos have ever been on the clock.
The Broncos had the sixth selection in that first common draft and took future Hall of Fame running back Floyd Little, who certainly was the cornerstone to early respectability for the Mile High City in pro football.
Here is a look at the top 10 first round selections in Broncos history, with a brief comment as to how the selection worked out for Denver.
1967 Syracuse three-time All American running back Floyd Little, inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2010 for his illustrious Bronco career.
1972 Houston tight end Riley Odoms was the fifth pick in the draft, and he was a tremendous player, a Pro Bowl performer who started on the Broncos’ first Super Bowl team in 1977.
1973 Purdue running back Otis Armstrong was chosen number nine by Denver and he too was a key player on the 1977 Super Bowl team. Armstrong twice led the NFL in rushing.
1983 Northwestern tackle Chris Hinton was the fourth pick in the draft. A tremendous offensive lineman, it turned out that he was the one player the Baltimore Colts had high interest in besides John Elway, whom they chose and would eventually trade to Denver for Hinton, another first rounds choice, quarterback Mark Herrmann (now in the College Football Hall of Fame), and other considerations. So the 1983 first round pick never actually played for the Broncos, but he yielded John Elway in a trade, which is one of the great returns on a draft day investment in pro football history. Of course, John Elway’s career needs no explanation, and he was the first player to have played his entire career in Denver to be selected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
1991 Nebraska linebacker Mike Croel was chosen by Denver with the fourth pick in the draft. Croel was the NFL defensive rookie of the year in 1991 but his career quickly tapered off and he did not have much impact on longtime success for the franchise.
So the list above shows that since the merger Denver has selected in the top 10 five times. Two of the players who resulted from those picks (including Elway, whose trade came one week after the draft day conversations with the Colts began) are in the Hall of Fame.
Hinton, too, went on to be a Pro Bowl player for the Colts, by the way.
Two of the others played key roles on Denver’s first championship team and had lengthy Bronco careers, with Armstrong’s cut short by a neck injury.
And one of the five did not have a notable career, but anytime you succeed in player acquisition with a four-out-of-five ratio at that high level, it is very good.
On the other hand, it is absolutely true that while being a high draft choice does not guarantee success, so too does being a late selection mean that a young prospect cannot play.
In fact, the Broncos have had some great success with later round players and free agents. We will look at that group in a subsequent blog.
Tags: Floyd Little, John Elway, Mike Croel, NFL Draft, Otis Armstrong, Riley Odoms
Lets build through the draft from now on OK. Draft all defense accept for a catching TE.
I think nearly everyone in Bronco Country including Elway and now Fox know that we need to rebuild through the draft as it has been a major deficiency for us of late, it is what it is.
I’m encouraged to have heard Elway, Xanders and Fox having stated that they do realize that and intend to correct the problem.
No way to orange color that with our history, we have plain stunk up the house with our draft picks for the last 5 years and probably longer giving FA way more importance over the draft than it should be, just my opinion.
It`s been longer.
Heck we had one good year when we draft Cutler, Marshall, Sheffler, and Hillis all in the same year and gave them all away. I may be wrong on Hillis though. I think he was drafted a year later. But anyway, we had a awesome draft in 2007 and it`s now all for not.
That is one heck of a draft class. If only we still had it… Except for Cutler. Don’t need a quitter crybaby.
Want to bet that the Bears go and trade Cutler to the Redskins. It might happen. Remember Chicago had a big (Lets Burn Cutler Jerseys Day). LMAO!!
It’s too obvious to comment on, but we need to concentrate on defensive players for the next 2-3 drafts. If all goes well, by 2016 we should be highly competitive again.
I prefer the ’08 draft w/Clady, Royal, and Hillis
Aussie I wouldn’t go that far with the defense. We do this year but next year needs to be even our offense is not perfect.
Yeap, we might need to fill other spots on years to come, not just ondefense… We need a FB on this draft(or FA)too, I wouldn’t mind to have 2 FB’s in our team, Spencer can get a shot at LB if needed!
I agree strand the 2006 draft was great:
Jay Cutler
Tony Scheffler
Brandon Marshall
Elvis Dumervil
Domenik Hixon
Chris Kuper
Greg Eslinger
I disagree that any fan should have to wait multiple years for a competative broncos roster. It seams defeatist to peer into the distant future and give an allowed amount of time for the team to be good.
The organization has been restructured at the coaching, gm, and upper management levels and I am confident that we already have great players.
The McDaniels era is over and I believe we will see these players perform at their full potential.
ps remembering draft picks misconveys the true worth of the personel to the team. for instance; Jay Cutler was obviously not Broncos material being so indignant and irreverant towards Elway’s legacy, and Marshall’s only resounding accomplishment was an NFL record set against a Colt’s defense that gave him 2-8 yard receptions because those are the only plays McDaniel knew how to call. Not to mention he violated team policy the following week and got benched. Neither of these drafts really wanted to be in Denver. Any team in the NFL is better off without cancerous personalities on it.
I can see this year having a good impact such as the draft classes of 06 and 08. This is also me throwing out my mock draft idea (4-3 defense compatible). Feel free to leave (objective or positive) comments, please:
1) Da’Quan Bowers, DE, Clemson – i cant see Carolina passing up on Fairley and Fox drafted Julius Peppers and that turned out pretty well
2a)Marvin Austin, DT, UNC – had the agent issues but his play is very well-rounded and we could use a young force in the middle of the d-line
2b) Davon House, CB, New Mexico St. – good size and physicality for a corner and good closing spead. sounds like a young champ bailey but not quite as fast. good tackler and run support
3) Casey Matthews, LB, Oregon – i know he played mostly ILB at Oregon but he has showed good instinct at any LB position, has good bloodlines, and really? who couldnt use someone like him
–up in the air in the next couple rounds–
7) Shaun Chapas, FB, Georgia – solid FB with great strength and awareness that could really give an old teammate a boost in the run game