Even though the Denver Broncos don’t have a wide receiver in the Hall of Fame, they certainly have had plenty of talent catching passes in the orange and blue.
When trying to pick out the five best receivers in Broncos history, the first four were pretty straightforward. However, choosing the fifth and last person to add to this list was difficult.
With many great options, do you value Haven Moses’s incredible 18.0 yards per reception more than Steve Watson’s six-year stretch of averaging nearly 1,000 yards per season or do you throw in Vance Johnson to represent the mighty “Three Amigos”?
As you’ll see, this list encompasses many decades and shows the greatness that the Broncos have had, even as the position has evolved since the 1960’s.
While statistics are an easy way to track receivers’ success at a quick glance, it is important to remember how the passing game has evolved, specifically in the past 10 years. While a 1,000-yard receiving season now almost seems routine, in 1975 there was only one receiver that eclipsed that mark, Houston’s Ken Burrough.
Without further to do, here are the five best wide receivers in Denver Broncos history:
5. Steve Watson
Career with Broncos: 9 seasons (1979-87)
Statistics With Broncos: 353 receptions (8th all time); 6,112 receiving yards (6th all time); 36 receiving touchdowns (9th all time)
Accolades: 1-time Pro Bolwer
While Watson’s statistics don’t necessarily put him in the top five, his six-year stretch between 1981 and 1986 was incredibly impressive. During that time, he had three 1,000-yard receiving seasons, averaging 952 yards per year even, though he missed seven games in 1982 due to a holdout.
In his breakout season of 1981, arguably his best, he led the league in receiving touchdowns, 13, while averaging over 20 yards per reception. Additionally, throughout his career he averaged 17.3 yards per reception, including seasons of 20.7, 19.2 and 17 yards per reception in 1981, 1983 and 1984, respectively.
Watson was consistently putting up great numbers, even with shaky quarterback play from Craig Morton, Steve DeBerg and John Elway — yes, John Elway. In Elway’s first three seasons with the Broncos (1983-85), the prime of Watson’s career, Elway had five more interceptions than touchdowns and Watson was still able to put up the numbers he did.
There certainly are many other players that could have been put at this spot, but Watson’s consistency and playmaking ability at a time of below-average quarterback play earns him a spot in the top five.
4. Demaryius Thomas
Career with Broncos: 6 seasons (2010-present)
Statistics With Broncos: 456 receptions (5th all time); 6,621 receiving yards (4th all time); 47 receiving touchdowns (3rd all time)
Career Accolades: 3-time Pro Bowler; 1-time Super Bowl champion
The only current player on this list, Thomas is certainly deserving. At only 28 years old, Thomas has the chance to move up this list as he continues his career with the Broncos.
While some may not like his focus and play last season, the fact that, in a down year, he still had 105 receptions and 1,304 receiving yards shows just how incredible of a player he truly is.
Potentially the most physically talented receiver to ever play for the Broncos — Brandon Marshall would give him a run for his money here — Thomas also delivers. Already ranking in the top five in Broncos history for receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns, Thomas could very well double these numbers in his career and end with the most in each category.
Some may argue that his numbers are great because he played with Peyton Manning for four of his six years in the league. While that is true, I would remind people that he also played with Kyle Orton and Tim Tebow his first two years.
He also did have one of the most memorable plays in Broncos history: the 80-yard Tebow-to-Thomas slant pass that he took to the house to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2011 playoffs.
On top of fantastic career numbers, Thomas also has the most touchdowns (2013) and receiving yards (2014) in a single season for a Broncos player, with 14 and 1,619, respectively.
We’ll see where he ends up once he wraps up his career.
3. Ed McCaffrey
Career with Broncos: 9 seasons (1995-2003)
Statistics With Broncos: 462 receptions (4th all time); 6,200 receiving yards (5th all time); 46 receiving touchdowns (4th all time)
Career Accolades: 1-time Pro Bowler; 2-time Super Bowl champion
A fan favorite, otherwise knows as Eddie Mac, McCaffrey not only had the stats to earn his place on this list, but also the attitude and mentality. McCaffrey was willing to do anything to help the Broncos, consistently going over the middle of the field and extending his body well knowing that he was going to get destroyed by hard-hitting linebackers and safeties.
Even though he had a fairly long career, nine years with the Broncos and thirteen overall, McCaffrey could have had an even more productive career if it weren’t for devastating injuries.
In 2001 during the season opener against the New York Giants, and one day before September 11, McCaffrey extended his body, made a one handed catch and got hit very hard by a linebacker. This was the type of play that he consistently made, except he would typically get up from them, crack his neck on both sides and be ready to go. This hit, however, was not typical, as it broke his knee and put him out for the rest of the season.
While he did bounce back the following year with nearly another 1,000-yard season, he struggled with injuries in 2003, which ultimately forced him to retire.
Along with being a fantastic over-the-middle receiver, McCaffrey could play anywhere on the field. Even though McCaffrey played on the field with superstar talents of Elway, Terrell Davis, Rod Smith and Shannon Sharpe, McCaffrey had the talent to dominate on his own.
He proved this in 2000, leading the team in receptions, 101, along with 1,317 receiving yards and 9 touchdowns. That team did have Rod Smith, but only had Davis for four full games and didn’t have Elway or Sharpe.
It’s hard to believe that for most of his career with the Broncos, he was the second best receiver on the team…
2. Lionel Taylor
Career with Broncos: 7 seasons (1960-66)
Statistics With Broncos: 543 receptions (3rd all time); 6,872 receiving yards (3rd all time); 44 (5th all time) receiving touchdowns
Career Accolades: 3-time Pro Bowler; 4-time 1st-Team All-Pro
The reason that many people probably don’t know of Lionel Taylor’s name is entirely due to the fact that he played over 50 years ago. What most people don’t know about him is that in his first year in the league, he played as a linebacker for the Chicago Bears.
Before his second season in the league, he was traded to the Broncos, moved to wide receiver and the rest was history.
Taylor led the AFL in receptions in five of his seven seasons with the Broncos, including becoming the first player ever to record 100 receptions in one season back in 1961. He also eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark in four of those seasons. He did all of this in just 14-game seasons as well.
He was named the Broncos MVP in 1963, 1964 and 1965, as well as a member of the organizations inaugural Ring of Game class in 1984. In 1970 he also became the first Broncos player to be elected into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame.
At the time he was traded from the Broncos in 1967, he held the career records for passes caught (543), yards gained (6,976) and TD receptions (44). Nearly 50 years later, he only trails Rod Smith and tight end Shannon Sharpe in receptions and receiving yards and is fifth all time for receiving touchdowns.
Taylor was the first great receiver the Broncos, and potentially the league, ever had, and his accomplishments have withheld the test of nearly 50 years time to remain as one of the greatest ever.
1. Rod Smith
Career with Broncos: 12 seasons (1995-2006)
Statistics With Broncos: 849 receptions (1st all time); 11,389 receiving yards (1st all time); 68 receiving touchdowns (1st all time)
Career Accolades: 3-time Pro Bowler
Without a doubt, Rod Smith is simply the best receiver to ever put on a Broncos jersey.
Smith leads the Broncos in nearly every major receiving category and it isn’t even close. His 11,389 career receiving yards are almost 3,000 more than Sharpe, who is in second, as well as 174 more receptions than Sharpe, who again is in second, and 13 more receiving touchdowns than Sharpe, who yet again is in second.
It would take Sharpe, the second best receiving threat in Broncos history, multiple years to make up this deficit Smith created.
What could be even more incredible than the numbers he put up over his career is that he wasn’t even drafted. As an undrafted rookie, he only started one game in each of his first two seasons with the Broncos. After that, Smith took over the league in the Broncos first Super Bowl season in 1997 and never looked back.
In a nine-year span, 1997-2005, Smith recorded eight 1,000-yard seasons and led the league with 113 receptions in 2001. Smith proved he was the rare combination of consistency and exceptional performance on Super Bowl winning teams, as well as teams that didn’t even make the playoffs.
Even with all of this, Smith is often overlooked as a star on the Super Bowl winning teams because of Elway and Davis. However, nothing about what Smith accomplished should be overlooked. It wasn’t a coincidence that the year Smith broke out, the Broncos got over the hump and won their first Super Bowl, and in their next Super Bowl, he had 152 receiving yards.
The only thing left to say about No. 80, is that he should hear his name for the Hall of Fame soon.