For decades, the tight end position has been a staple of the Denver Broncos offense. And at several points in time, you could easily have made the case that the best tight end in the NFL resided on the Broncos offense.
The team may be a little talent bare at that position right now, at least in terms of All-Pro talent, but there’s potential, especially in a guy like Jeff Heurerman, who missed the entirety of his rookie season with a torn ACL.
But before we jump into the future, let’s take a look back into the past and break down the five greatest tight ends in Denver Broncos history.
5. Daniel Graham
Years With Broncos: 2007-2010 (4 seasons)
Stats With Broncos: 102 receptions; 1,072 yards; 7 touchdowns
Career Accolades: 2-time Super Bowl Champion (Patriots)
This is probably the most controversial of the five, and that’s fair. A guy like Clarence Kay, who played nearly a decade with the team would be well deserving of this spot, too. But for me, personally, I’ve got to give it to Daniel Graham — if John Lynch can make the Ring of Fame after four seasons in Denver, Graham can make my top-five list.
Graham was an old-school, throwback tight end, a guy who did his work on the line of scrimmage, not in the opposing team’s secondary; at his best, he totaled 32 receptions, 389 yards and four touchdowns in 2008 for the Broncos.
What he brought, though, was leadership, stability and blocking, the last of which is often overlooked when talking about tight ends.
