With it being the month of the NFL Draft, it is always a good time to take a look back at teams’ past draft classes. Some do it to gauge how their team has done in previous drafts, and some do it to pick up tendencies General Managers show in their picks.
This is to look back at the Greatest draft class the Denver Broncos put together in the last 20 seasons. To choose that, the most important question to answer is, what makes the greatest draft class?
What Makes the Greatest Draft Class?
There are a lot of ways people can answer that question. Some picked it because it had the most pro-bowlers come out of it. Others do, base on whether they nailed the most important position, the QB. I think the answer for the Broncos is based on the impact that one player had in particular. That came from the 2011 draft class.
Former Broncos DE Von Miller – Chris Trotman/Getty Images
2011 Denver Broncos Notable Draftees:
Linebacker Von Miller, Tackle Orlando Franklin, Tight End Julius Thomas
Before I get to the obvious pick in this class, I should talk about this class as a whole. While this is not the most loaded with talent, it provided plenty of players that played and started many games for the team.
Broncos RT Orlando Franklin (74) – Jack Dempsey/AP Photo
It also provided one of the best Right Tackles in franchise history with Orlando Franklin. In his four seasons with the Broncos, he only missed one game and played in 90% or more of the team’s offensive snaps in every season. While he did not make a Pro Bowl in his career, he was a guaranteed solid start every game of his career, which Denver has not had out of their RT position since.
Broncos TE Julius Thomas (80) – Matthew Emmons/USA TODAY Sports
Another underrated player from this class was Julius Thomas. While he had a very short-lived stint as the team’s starting Tight End, he was the first TE to go to back-to-back Pro Bowls since Shannon Sharpe did it. In that span, he was a part of the record-setting offense in 2013 and caught 24 TDs in his Pro Bowl seasons before signing a massive contract to play for the Jaguars.
Former Broncos DE Von Miller (58) – Riedel/AP Photo
Now, the reason this class gets the nod for the best in the last 20 years, Linebacker Von Miller. It is hard enough to draft a player to go to a single Pro Bowl, let alone be a Hall of Fame lock. He is the franchise’s all-time leader in Sacks, a nine-time Pro Bowler while a member of the team, and the team’s third Super Bowl MVP. The accomplishments of Von alone make this the greatest class in the last two decades.
Honorable Mentions
2006 Notable Draftees:
Quarterback Jay Cutler, Wide Receiver Brandon Marshall, Defensive End Elvis Dumervil
This class is loaded with production, big names, and starters. The reason this does not get named the best is it lacks longevity and winning. Dumervil and Guard Chris Kuper were the only notable players that made it past their rookie contracts, and the team was not known for winning at this time.
2010 Notable Draftees:
Wide Receivers Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker, Guard Zane Beadles
This class gets tainted a little bit because of the massive bust that was Tim Tebow. However, it did provide possibly the best WR in franchise history with Thomas, a consistently good guard in Beadles, and another all-time productive WR, Eric Decker. If Tebow had hit, this class could’ve had the chance at the top spot.
2021 Notable Draftees:
Cornerback Patrick Surtain II, Running Back Javonte Williams, Guard Quinn Meinerz, Linebacker Baron Browing
What could be the most talented class over the last two decades, it is just too early to know for sure if this class is going to be an all-time great. Obviously, it has arguably the best CB in the league in it with Surtain, but it also provides some great talents in Meinerz and Browning. If Williams can come back from his knee injury and Sterns steps into the starting role well, this class could be the most loaded in franchise history. All they need to help is to start winning.
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