The Monday Mommy: Power Ranking The Broncos Overachievers
Over the years, the Denver Broncos have had their share of great late-round picks and even undrafted free agents who have added major contributions to the legacy of the franchise. Here are my power rankings of the 11 guys that got passed over and proved everyone wrong. Why 11? Because at SSDF, ours goes to 11.
With the bulk of the NFL free agency period in the rear view mirror and the draft less than a month away, it seems like a good time to honor those Denver Broncos that didn’t live up to their expectations – in a good way. Every team in the league has its share of players that were either projected too high, overrated, given a hefty contract during free agency that they never lived up to or taken too early in the draft. Think Jamarcus Russell and Albert Haynesworth. One could potentially scribe an entire piece devoted to guys that fall into these parameters, but today we honor the overachievers.
While NFL front offices do extensive research, scouting and meeting with all of the prospective athletes leading up to their acquisition, sometimes they are just plain off. Relying on stats and numbers at the combine works for some but not others. And the bulk of the guys that feel slighted by either being drafted in a later round or not at all can sometimes come into the league with a meteor-sized chip on their shoulders. These athletes tend to make it a personal goal to prove to those very same scouts and coaches that their assessments were incorrect and that they missed the boat on their talents.
Over the years, the Denver Broncos have had their share of great late-round picks and even undrafted free agents who have added major contributions to the legacy of the franchise. Here are my power rankings of the 11 guys that got passed over and proved everyone wrong. Why 11? Because at SSDF, ours goes to 11.
11. Rich Karlis. This Cincinnati place kicker came to the Broncos training camp in 1982 and performed well enough to earn a starting spot. He is the last known guy to consistently kick barefoot full time in the NFL.
Karlis is perhaps most widely remembered for his role in “The Drive”, kicking the game winner in overtime against the Cleveland Browns in the 1986 AFC Championship
game allowing Denver to reach Super Bowl XXI. Karlis made 172 field goals and 283 extra points for a total of 799 points in his career. He also still holds the record for the most field goal attempts in a Super Bowl with six.
- That’s not too shabby, considering he was basically a walk-on.
10. Mike Anderson. Drafted by the Broncos in 2000, Anderson was chosen in the sixth with the 189th pick. The running back finished out his rookie season with 1,487 yards and scored himself the Offensive Rookie of the Year award. Sadly, the next few years were an injury fest for the young rusher, not even playing in the 2004 season. Anderson did return in 2005 to another 1,000 yard season for the Broncos but unfortunately became a casualty of the salary cap and was released on March 1, 2006.
9. Brandon Marshall. Coming from such a small school – University of Central Florida, Marshall was low on the draft radar in 2006. He was selected in the fourth round at pick 119 by the Broncos. In 2007, Marshall emerged as a top game breaker with 102 receptions for 1,365 yards. At the end of that season, he led all wideouts in yards after first contact.
Marshall was traded to the Dolphins in April 2010 during the Josh McDaniels reign of ridiculousness. In Miami he performed really well considering the mediocre quarterback carousel that has occurred there for years. Now in Chicago, Marshall has fought his inner demons and curtailed the off-the-field antics, looking to earn a spot as an elite receiver in the NFL. Too bad he has Jay Cutler tossing him the rock. Good luck with that.
8. Matt Lepsis. The former CU standout signed with the Broncos as an undrafted free agent in 1997, after spending four years as a tight end for the Buffs. Lepsis earned the starting role in 1999 and developed into one of the best left tackles in the league.
Lepsis announced his retirement in January of 2008, after he felt that his performance on the field had slipped significantly. The lineman wanted to go out on his own terms without having to be told that his time in the NFL had come to an end.
Despite the fact that he admittedly used various recreational drugs during his playing days, Lepsis certainly outplayed that undrafted status throughout his 11 year NFL career as a Bronco.
7. Chris Harris. Although it is a bit early to see how Chris Harris’ impact on the Bronco’s franchise will be, he is certainly off to a stellar start.
Coming from the University of Kansas, Harris signed with the Broncos as a free agent in July, 2011. In his rookie season, he was responsible for 65 tackles, 56 of them solo. He was named to the Bronco All-Rookie team and received the Denver Broncos Breakout Player of the Year award.
Last season Harris was responsible for a few game changing, heads up plays that has earned him a solid spot on Denver’s roster in their secondary for 2013.
6. Elvis Dumervil. I know that the timing isn’t exactly right to include Dumervil on this list since most are obviously bitter about his recent departure (See Colin Daniels article on this here site detailing the lashing “Doom” received via social media from Bronco fans). But one can’t argue with the value that Denver was able attain from a guy selected in the fourth round – the 126th man chosen in the 2006 draft. Dumervil accounted for 21 sacks in his first two seasons and became a dominant pass rusher for the Broncos until his off season’s plan manifested itself in him wearing a Ravens’ jersey. Arguably one of the hippest reason’s we should still honor the guy is that his middle name is Kool. For real.
5. Tom Nalen. A fan favorite and friend to the South Stands family, Nalen is the epitome of longevity and consistency in the NFL. He is one of the best linemen ever to play for the Broncos and was drafted in the seventh round at pick 218 in 1994.
Nalen earned the starting role at center in his second season and did not lose the job until his retirement 13 years later. Six different running backs had 1,000-yard seasons behind Nalen during his career in the Mile High City; a feat that would be pretty tough to achieve in the current NFL.
Nalen was voted to five Pro Bowls and played in two Super Bowls with the Broncos. When he retired in 2009, he was the last remaining player from the Super Bowl teams of the late 90s.
That’s a decent haul of accomplishments coming from a guy taken in the last round of the draft.
4. Karl Mecklenburg. In 1983, Mecklenburg was drafted by Denver in the 12th round at pick 310. That is not a typo, the 12th round. It seems that scouts didn’t think much of the 6’3” 240 pound defensive guy’s chances of making an NFL team. Considering he was a college walk-on, he was used to having to prove himself.
Mecklenburg went on to become a six time Pro Bowler with 79 career sacks and three Super Bowl appearances. Throughout the course of his career, he played all seven defensive front positions; some within the same game.
In 2001, Mecklenburg was elected to the Broncos Ring of Fame as well as the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame. Nice work for a guy selected just short of Mr. Insignificant.
3. Rod Smith. It’s not exactly a big shock to see Rod Smith’s name on this list. He is one of the greatest and most popular players in Denver Bronco’s history.
Smith came to Denver undrafted from Missouri Southern State in 1994. He went on to a fruitful career at wideout for the orange and blue that spanned 14 years. During this time, he became the only undrafted free agent in NFL history to exceed 10,000 receiving yards and was officially inducted to the Broncos’ Ring of Fame during a halftime ceremony on Sept. 23, 2012.
Throughout his highly successful career, Smith was a class act and a true competitor. It’s almost impossible to say anything snarky about the guy, he was and still is for the most part controversy-free.
2. Terrell Davis. This Georgia running back was drafted by the Broncos in 1995 in the sixth round at pick 196. He came into training camp as the sixth-string tailback with little chance of making the squad. Davis impressed the coaches throughout the preseason and became the starting running back by the first regular-season game. In his short seven-year career, he managed to become the Broncos all-time rushing leader with 7,607 yards.
During his time in a Broncos’ jersey, Davis played in two Super Bowls, was crowned the MVP of Super Bowl XXXll and also the league MVP the following season.
Davis has certainly made an indelible mark on the Denver Broncos franchise as well as the Mile High City. He was inducted to the prestigious Broncos Ring of Fame in 2007 and his famous “Mile High Salute” can still be seen in end-zone celebrations to this day.
1. Shannon Sharpe. Picked in the seventh round by Denver in 1990, Sharpe played tight end for the Broncos for 12 seasons. He racked up 10,060 receiving yards and 62 touchdowns during his historic career. He was the also first tight end to reach the 10,000-yard mark. In 1997 after the Broncos won the Super Bowl, Sharpe was featured on a Wheaties box along with a few other teammates. Not too many late-rounders can add that to the ol’resume.
Sharpe won three Super Bowls and was elected to the Broncos Ring of Fame. He was also inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2011 – the holy grail for NFL players
Oh, and Sharpe was also elected to an astonishing eight Pro Bowls throughout his career-not exactly weak sauce for a seventh-round pick.
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