The NFL Draft kicks off tonight at 6:00 MT and runs through Saturday, and the Broncos will be hoping to strike gold once again. So let’s rewind to some of the biggest draft steals in franchise history.
1994, Round 7, Pick 218: Tom Nalen
With just 5 picks remaining in the 1994 NFL Draft, the Broncos took a chance on Tom Nalen, a gritty center out of Boston College. After starting just one game as a rookie, Nalen seized the starting job in 1995 and never gave it back. racking up 5 Pro-Bowls and 3 All-Pros. Over the next 13 seasons Nalen became the heart of Denver’s offensive line. He racked up five Pro Bowl selections, earned three All-Pro nods, and played a pivotal role in the Broncos’ back-to-back Super Bowl titles in the late ’90s. By the time he retired in 2008, Nalen had made 188 starts, by far more than any other offensive lineman in franchise history, and trailing only John Elway and Jason Elam overall.
1983, Round 12, Pick 310: Karl Mecklenberg
With Randy Gradishar nearing retirement and Tom Jackson showing signs of decline, the Broncos took a late-round flyer on a hard-nosed linebacker out of Minnesota: Karl Mecklenburg. Selected in the final round of the 1983 NFL Draft, “The Albino Rhino” went on to terrorize offenses for the next 12 seasons, whether playing off the ball or with his hand in the dirt. Mecklenburg racked up 1,118 tackles and 79 sacks, both of which still rank in the top four in the Broncos record books. He earned six Pro Bowl selections, four All-Pro honors, and became the heart of Denver’s defense throughout the ‘80s and early ‘90s.
1990, Round 7, Pick 192: Shannon Sharpe
As the 192nd pick, Sharpe wasn’t even the first tight end the Broncos selected that year. Things started off slow for Shannon with just 7 receptions as a rookie, but it wasn’t long until he exploded into one of the greatest players ever to wear the Orange and Blue. Sharpe made 7 straight Pr-Bowls with the Broncos and helped them to their Super Bowl XXXII and XXXIII victories. He became the first tight end in NFL history to surpass 10,000 receiving yards as well as 60 touchdowns, and was considered by some to be the greatest tight end ever by the time of his retirement in 2004. It wasn’t long until he was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2011.
1995, Round 6, Pick 196: Terrell Davis
After a turbulent college career at Georgia, Davis didn’t hear his name called until the 6th round where he was the 19th RB drafted. TD was buried on the depth chart as the 6th running back for Denver entering training camp, but he was up for the challenge. What began with a legendary special teams hit in Tokyo turned into a Hall of Fame career. Davis ran for 6,413 yards and 56 touchdowns in his first four seasons in Denver before a devastating injury cut his career short in 1999. This included an MVP season in 1998 where he became the 4th player to ever crack the 2,000 yard rushing mark. But what truly sets Davis apart is his postseason dominance. In eight playoff games, he rushed for an NFL-record 142.5 yards per game, with 12 touchdowns and a 7–1 record. He helped deliver two Super Bowl titles to Denver—and earned Super Bowl XXXII MVP honors along the way.
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