Tag: Number Series

Tom Jackson was the best player to wear No. 57 for the Broncos

A three-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro, Tom Jackson helped the Broncos reach two Super Bowls during his Ring of Fame career.

Tom Jackson was the best player to ever wear jersey No. 57 for the Denver Broncos.

After playing college football at Louisville, Jackson was picked by the Broncos in the fourth round of the 1973 NFL draft. He went on to spend his entire 14-year career in Denver as a key member of the team’s famous “Orange Crush” defense.

Jackson helped the Broncos reach their first Super Bowl in 1977, and they reached the Super Bowl again in Jackson’s final season in 1986. A three-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro, Jackson totaled 40 sacks and 20 interceptions during his career, returning three of those picks for touchdowns.

One year after hanging up his cleats, Jackson joined ESPN as a broadcaster. He now co-hosts “NFL Primetime” with Chris Berman on ESPN+.

Jackson is a member of Denver’s Ring of Fame and the team’s 50th Anniversary Team, making him an easy choice as the best player to ever wear jersey No. 57 for the Broncos.

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Al Wilson was the best player to wear No. 56 for the Broncos

Al Wilson totaled 62 TFLs, 46 PBUs, 21.5 sacks, 8 FFs, 5 INTs and 3 TDs in 125 games with the Broncos. He belongs in the Ring of Fame.

Al Wilson was the best player to ever wear jersey No. 56 for the Denver Broncos.

After playing college football at Tennessee and winning a national championship, Wilson was picked by the Broncos in the first round of the 1999 NFL draft. He went on to earn five Pro Bowl nods and two All-Pro selections during an eight-year career in the NFL.

Wilson totaled 723 tackles (62 behind the line), 46 pass breakups, 21.5 sacks, eight forced fumbles, seven fumble recoveries, five interceptions and three defensive touchdowns in 125 games (119 starts) in Denver.

The Broncos attempted to trade Wilson to the New York Giants in 2007 but he failed a physical due to a neck injury and the trade fell through. Wilson ultimately retired in 2008 and he sued team doctor Chad Prusmack, who was not found negligent.

Wilson seemed to harbor ill will toward the team after the failed trade, but the club began mending the relationship in 2018 and he announced two of the team’s draft picks in 2019. It’s unfortunate that Wilson’s career ended the way it did, but we’re glad he’s back on good terms with the team. Now the Broncos should put him in their Ring of Fame.

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D.J. Williams was the best player to wear No. 55 for the Broncos

Best to wear No. 55: D.J. Williams totaled 826 tackles, 37 PBUs, 30 QB hits, 22.5 sacks and two INTs in 127 games with the Broncos.

D.J. Williams was the best player to wear jersey No. 55 for the Denver Broncos.

Williams was picked by the Broncos in the first round of the 2004 NFL draft out of Miami. He was named to PFWA’s All-Rookie Team after recording 114 tackles, seven pass breakups, two sacks, one interception and one forced fumble in his first season.

Williams went on to spend nine seasons in Denver. He totaled 826 tackles (70 behind the line), 37 pass breakups, 30 quarterback hits, 22.5 sacks, 13 forced fumbles and two interceptions in 127 games (115 starts).

After playing for the Broncos from 2004-2012, Williams spent the final two years of his career with the Chicago Bears before hanging up his cleats.

Rick Dennison also deserves an honorable mention. He played linebacker for the Broncos from 1982-1990, primarily as a backup. Dennison appeared in 128 games, starting 52 times during his nine-year career as a player. Five years after hanging up his cleats, Dennison returned to the Broncos as a coach.

Dennison held various roles on Denver’s staff from 1995-2009, helping the team win two Super Bowls. After stints with the Houston Texans and Baltimore Ravens, he returned to the Broncos in 2015 and won a third Super Bowl as the team’s offensive coordinator. He went on to coach with the Buffalo Bills, New York Jets and Minnesota Vikings before later joining the New Orleans Saints as a senior offensive assistant, his current role.

Dennison has had an accomplished career as a coach, but Williams arguably made a bigger impact as a player, so we’re giving D.J. the nod as the best player to ever wear jersey No. 55 in Denver.

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Keith Bishop was the best player to wear No. 54 for the Broncos

A two-time Pro Bowl, guard Keith Bishop helped the Broncos reach three Super Bowls during his 10-year career in Denver.

Keith Bishop was the best player to ever wear jersey No. 54 with the Denver Broncos.

Bishop was drafted by the Broncos in the sixth round of the 1980 NFL draft out of Baylor. He went on to spend 10 years in Denver, playing 129 games with 87 starts. The guard helped the Broncos reach the Super Bowl in 1986, 1987 and 1989 before hanging up his cleats.

Bishop now serves as the team’s vice president of security.

Brandon Marshall also deserves an honorable mention. After playing college football at Nevada, Marshall was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the fifth round of the 2012 NFL draft. After failing to make Jacksonville’s roster in 2013, the linebacker was picked up by the Broncos.

Marshall went on to play spend seasons in Denver, playing in 69 games with 63 starts. He totaled 416 tackles, 21 pass breakups, 6.5 sacks, five forced fumbles and two interceptions with the Broncos. Marshall was also a 16-game starter in 2015 when Denver won Super Bowl 50.

Bishop never won a Super Bowl, but he was a two-time Pro Bowler and a member of the Broncos’ 50th Anniversary Team, so he gets the nod as the best player to ever wear No. 54 for the Broncos.

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Randy Gradishar was the best player to wear No. 53 for the Broncos

Randy Gradishar led the Broncos’ famous “Orange Crush” defense in the 1970s. The seven-time Pro Bowler is a member of the 2024 HOF class.

Randy Graishar was the best player to ever wear jersey No. 53 for the Denver Broncos.

After playing college football at Ohio State, Gradishar was picked by the Broncos in the first round of the 1974 NFL draft. He went on to spend his entire 10-year career in Denver.

A seven-time Pro Bowler and five-time All-Pro, Gradishar led the famous “Orange Crush” defense that helped the Broncos reach their first Super Bowl in 1977. He won the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year award the following season and also got votes for DPOY in 1977, 1979 and 1983.

Denver credits Gradishar with 2,049 career tackles, 20 interceptions, 19.5 sacks and 13 fumble recoveries in 145 career games. He also scored four touchdowns (three on interception returns and one on a fumble return).

Gradishar was elected to the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame in 1987 and the Broncos’ Ring of Fame in 1989. Earlier this year, Gradishar was named a member of the 2024 Pro Football Hall of Fame class as a senior candidate. He will be enshrined in Canton, Ohio this summer.

Shout out to Randy Gradishar, the best player to wear No. 53 in Denver.

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Ian Gold was the best player to wear No. 52 for the Broncos

A productive linebacker and special teams ace, Ian Gold was the best player to wear No. 52 for the Broncos.

Ian Gold was the best player to wear jersey No. 52 for the Denver Broncos.

Gold was picked by the Broncos in the second round of the 2000 NFL draft out of Michigan. He spent the first two seasons of his career as a rotational linebacker and special teams ace, recording 72 tackles and 5.5 sacks from 2000-2001.

Gold then emerged as a 16-game starter in 2002 and recorded 100 tackles, 6.5 sacks, four pass breakups, two fumble recoveries and one forced fumble. He suffered a leg injury six games into the following season and went on injured reserve.

Gold became a free agent in 2004 and signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after the Broncos drafted D. J. Williams. He dressed for all 16 games that year, earning 13 starts, but was cut by the Bucs in 2005.

Denver then re-signed Gold in 2005 and he spent the final three years of his career with the Broncos before hanging up his cleats. Gold retired in 2008 with 527 tackles, 30 pass breakups, 17 sacks, 10 fumble recoveries, nine forced fumbles, four interceptions and two touchdowns on his resume. He was the best Bronco to ever wear No. 52.

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John Mobley was the best player to wear No. 51 for the Broncos

A first-team All-Pro and two-time Super Bowl champion, LB John Mobley was the best player to ever wear No. 51 for the Broncos.

John Mobley was the best player to ever wear jersey No. 51 for the Denver Broncos.

After playing college football at Kutztown, Mobley joined the Broncos as an undrafted free agent in 1996. He went on to spend his entire eight-year career in Denver before retiring due to a spine injury.

Mobley played in 105 games with the Broncos, earning 102 starts. In those contests, he totaled 621 tackles, 22 pass breakups, 10.5 sacks, seven fumble recoveries, five interceptions and five forced fumbles.

Honorable mentions for No. 51 include three other linebackers: Keith Burns (who won two Super Bowls as a special teams player), Bob Swenson (a first-team All-Pro in 1981) and Todd Davis (who won Super Bowl 50 in 2015).

After making the PFWA All-Rookie Team in 1996, Mobley was named a first-team All-Pro in 1997 and helped Denver win the franchise’s first Super Bowl. The Broncos won the Super Bowl again in 1998, and Mobley started all seven of Denver’s postseason games during those two title runs.

Shout out to John Mobley, the best Broncos player to wear No. 51.

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Jim Ryan was the best player to wear No. 50 for the Broncos

Jim Ryan played linebacker for the Broncos from 1979-1988, helping Denver reach two Super Bowls.

Former linebacker Jim Ryan was the best player to ever wear No. 50 for the Denver Broncos.

After playing college football at William & Mary, Ryan went undrafted in 1979 and signed with the Broncos. He spent his entire 10-year career in Denver, playing in 150 games with 91 career starts.

Ryan played before the NFL started officially tracking tackles as a stat, but Pro-Football-Reference.com credits him with 10 sacks, seven fumble recoveries and five interceptions from 1979-1988. He helped the team reach back-to-back Super Bowls in 1986-87 near the end of his career.

Former Broncos lineman Ben Hamilton is also deserving of a shout-out. Hamilton was picked by Denver in the fourth round of the 2001 NFL draft out of Minnesota and he went on to play seven seasons with the Broncos.

Hamilton dressed for 111 games in Denver, earning 104 starts. He helped the Broncos reached the AFC Championship game in 2005 and started all 16 games in six straight seasons to begin his career.

Ryan had a longer career in Denver and he played in two Super Bowls, so he gets the nod as the best Bronco to ever wear jersey No. 50.

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Dennis Smith was the best player to wear No. 49 for the Broncos

Dennis Smith, a six-time Pro Bowler, helped the Broncos reach three Super Bowls in the 1980s. He was Denver’s best player to wear No. 49.

Dennis Smith was the best player to ever wear jersey No. 49 for the Denver Broncos. 

After playing college football at USC and winning a national championship, Smith was picked by the Broncos in the first round of the 1981 NFL draft. He went on to spend his entire 14-year career in Denver, helping the team reach three Super Bowls.

A hard-hitting safety, Smith totaled 1,158 tackles, 30 interceptions, 15 sacks and 17 fumble recoveries during his 184 games with the Broncos (170 starts).  He was a three-time All-Pro and six-time Pro Bowl selection.

Although the team lost all three Super Bowls in the 1980s (XXI, XXII, XXIV), Smith played a key role in helping Denver reach the NFL’s biggest stage. He was added to the Broncos’ Ring of Fame in 2001.

Smith is tied with Justin Simmons for seventh place on the team’s all-time interceptions list, above Pro Football Hall of Famer Steve Atwater (24). Smith was one of the best safeties in franchise history, and the best player to ever wear No. 49 for the Broncos.

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Shaq Barrett was the best player to wear No. 48 for the Broncos

Shaq Barrett recorded 14 sacks and forced seven fumbles in four seasons with the Broncos, and he helped the team win Super Bowl 50 in 2015.

Shaq Barrett was the best player to ever wear No. 48 for the Denver Broncos.

After playing college football at CSU, Barrett signed with the Broncos as an undrafted free agent in 2014. He spent his rookie season on Denver’s practice squad before emerging as a rotational pass rusher in his second season.

Barrett played in all 16 games in 2015 and started six contests as an injury fill-in. He recorded 5.5 sacks that year and helped the Broncos reach Super Bowl 50. Barrett recorded one tackle in Denver’s 24-10 win over the Panthers in the Super Bowl that season.

Barrett went on to spend three more years with the Broncos, recording 14 sacks and seven forced fumbles while playing primarily as a rotational pass rusher. He left the team in free agency in 2019 and recorded 19.5 sacks in his first year with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Barrett then won a second Super Bowl in 2020, that time with the Bucs.

George Coghill also deserves a shout-out as an honorable mention. He played safety for the Broncos from 1997-2001 and while he was on the practice squad for Super Bowl XXXII, Coghill did play in Super Bowl XXXIII. The safety spent four seasons in Denver, playing in 54 games with four starts. Coghill totaled 93 tackles and three interceptions with the Broncos.

Barrett has 59 career sacks on his resume and he now plays for the Miami Dolphins. Even as a rotational player, he had a key role in the team’s run to Super Bowl 50 in 2015, and he was the best to ever wear No. 48.

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