My Broncos Defensive Dream Team: 1988-2020
A few weeks back we had “My Broncos Offensive Dream Team:1988-2020” from Thomas. Here is part two where he looks at the defensive side of the ball!
I was born on February 8, 1988, 8 days after a disastrous 42-10 loss for the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXII to the Washington Football Team. This included a 35 point 2nd quarter for Washington. I didn’t know it in utero, but I was already hooked despite the loss. Denver (and Colorado as a whole) only had two true professional teams at the time: the Broncos and the Nuggets. The Nuggets, perennial losers outside of their own 1988 playoff run later, were not a team my family followed. The Broncos, though? They were our lifeblood. It helps that I was born a few years into John Elway’s run, arguably still the longest sustained run of Denver’s very productive existence (9th highest winning percentage including playoffs). What followed was a borderline obsession, not just with the Broncos, but with football as a whole. I knew every team by logo when I was 2 years old.
As with my offensive dream team, I will form a lineup. I will create positions for offense, defense, specific special teams players, and a coach. These will not be full starting lineups. I.e. I will only pick one person for each position (only 1 WR, etc.) I will not do a full bench because of the pure numbers of football roster spots. I will list out potential players and who I chose, including the reasons for the selection.
Defensive End
Nominees: Neil Smith (97-99), Elvis Dumervil (06-12), Derek Wolfe (12-19)
DE: Elvis Dumervil – 63.5 sacks, 16 Forced Fumbles, 9 Fumble Recoveries, 3 Pro Bowls (5 overall), NFL Sacks Leader in 2009
This wasn’t close and the only thing that stopped it from being a further landslide was a fax machine. Before Von Miller broke the franchise sack record, Dumervil was well on his way. He made a case to be defensive player of the year several times, including two 17 sack seasons. He was a wrecking ball and only outdated technology could stop him.
Defensive Tackle
Nominees: Greg Kragen (85-93), Trevor Pryce (97-05), Sylvester Williams (13-16)
DT: Trevor Pryce: 64 Sacks, 9 Forced Fumbles, 4 Fumbles Recoveries, 2x Super Bowl Champion, 4 Pro Bowls
Because of the aforementioned fax fiasco, Trevor Pryce actually has .5 sack more than Elvis Dumervil in franchise history. Pryce started the year of the first Super Bowl win and was key in the Super Bowl XXXIII triumph. He was a menace in the backfield and by all accounts an incredibly nice guy. How can you not root for a man who went from outstanding football player to a well-respected young adult author?
Outside Linebacker
Nominees: Simon Fletcher (85-95), Bill Romanowski (96-01), D.J. Williams (04-12), Von Miller (11-present)
OLB: Von Miller – 106 Sacks, 26 Forced Fumbles, 9 Fumble Recoveries, 1x Super Bowl Champion, 1x Super Bowl MVP, 8 Pro Bowls, NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2011, NFL 2010s All-Decade Team
This article reminded me how blessed the Broncos have been with defensive personnel over the years and none bares more fruit than the outside linebacker position. D.J. Williams is the clear number 4 here and yet would be higher on many other teams. Von Miller is the best draft pick the Broncos have had outside of maybe Elway (and I would still give the edge to Miller, personally). He has played 40 fewer games than Fletcher and has already broken his franchise sack record and continues to climb. He and the defense are the reason the Broncos were able to win Super Bowl 50. He may likely go down as the greatest Bronco in history if he keeps this up.
Inside Linebacker
Nominees: Karl Mecklenburg (83-94), Al Wilson (99-06), Brandon Marshall (13-18)
ILB: Karl Mecklenburg – 79 Sacks, 16 Forced Fumbles, 14 Fumble Recoveries, 1104 tackles, 6 Pro Bowls
Mecklenburg is the first player I remember and my family had some Mecklenburg memorabilia in our basement. Mecklenburg was an excellent tackler and could move along any position in the front seven. His 79 sacks is third in franchise history behind Fletcher and Miller; this is even more impressive when you consider the amount of talent the Broncos have had on defense.
Cornerback
Nominees: Ray Crockett (94-00), Champ Bailey (04-13), Chris Harris Jr. (11-18), Aqib Talib (14-17)
CB: Champ Bailey – 34 Interceptions, 3 TDS, 524 tackles, 12 Pro Bowls, NFL Interceptions Leader in 2006. NFL 2000s All-Decade team, 2019 Hall of Fame
I personally have a complicated relationship with Champ Bailey. He is unquestionably the best cornerback in Broncos history and one of my favorite players. But his trade to Denver was for my absolute favorite player at the time, Clinton Portis. Ultimately, Champ proved to be the better commodity and Denver by far won that trade. Not only one of the greatest Broncos, but Champ can make the case for one of the best cornerbacks of all time. Like many of the great defensive backs, his numbers suffer mostly because quarterbacks did not want to throw his way. A true pro and a quiet leader.
Free Safety
Nominees: Steve Atwater (89-98), John Lynch (04-07), Brian Dawkins (09-11)
FS: Steve Atwater – 24 Interceptions, 5 Forced Fumbles, 8 Fumble Recoveries, 1038 tackles, 2x Super Bowl Champion, 8 Pro Bowls, NFL 1990s All-Decade Team
Look at these options. Perhaps Lynch or Dawkins could have made the case to top Atwater if either had more of their career with Denver. Atwater, nicknamed The Smiling Assassin, played with reckless abandon and was hard hitting in an era where player safety was not prime consideration. Unlike many defensive backs, he was also the epitome of consistency, missing only five games in his career. He is finally getting his just due as a Hall of Famer this year.
Strong Safety
Nominees: Dennis Smith (81-94), T.J. Ward (14-16)
SS: Dennis Smith – 30 Interceptions, 17 Fumble Recoveries, 1152 tackles, 6 Pro Bowls
As Atwater’s backfield mate for several years, Dennis Smith was truly Dennis the Menace for opposing offenses. For as hard hitting as Atwater was, Smith was perhaps even a couple notches above, constantly knocking players out. Coach Mike Shanahan said he was the hardest hitter he had ever seen. A true terror on the field and deserves more recognition for how dominant he was as a player.
Kicker
Nominees: Jason Elam (93-07), Matt Prater (07-13), Brandon McManus (14-present)
K: Jason Elam – 395 Field Goals Made, 80.6% FGM, 601 Extra Points Made, 99.5% XPM, 2x Super Bowl Champion, 3 Pro Bowls
This was much closer than I would have imagined for Elam and Prater. In the end though, 3 missed extra points in over 600 tries and Elam’s reputation as the long ball kicker put him over the other choices. Although Prater was far more accurate from long, the Broncos trusted Elam with 61 attempts over 50 yards. If Prater continued his work with Denver, he may have taken this from Elam.
Punter
Nominees: Tom Rouen (93-02), Britton Colquitt (09-15)
P: Britton Colquitt – 472 Punts, 21321 Yards, 45.2 Yards per Punt, 1x Super Bowl Champion
It can be somewhat hard to compare punters, especially when you aren’t able to consider individual games and average starting position for opposing teams. Colquitt edges Rouen here with 2 yards more per punt and only one blocked punt as a Bronco.
Kick Returner
Nominees: Deltha O’Neal (00-03), Eddie Royal (08-11), Trindon Holliday (12-13)
KR: Trindon Holliday – 1738 return yards, 2 Punt Return TDs, 2 Kick Return TDs
With 29 yards per return and 2 TDs each for kick and punt returns in just 12 games, Holliday was explosive and the most productive returner that the Broncos have had in my lifetime. His only downside is that he fumbled often with 5 fumbles in that same time period. He also absurdly went 16-0 in 2012 with 5 wins in Houston and 11 wins when he joined the Broncos.
Coach
Nominees: Dan Reeves (81-92), Mike Shanahan (95-08), John Fox (11-14), Gary Kubiak (15-16)
Coach: Mike Shanahan – 138 wins, 62% winning percentage, 2x Super Bowl Champion (3x total)
Each coach on this list got their team to the Super Bowl at least once, with Shanahan and Kubiak finishing the job. Shanahan got to coach the team with Old Man Logan version of Elway and with Terrell Davis, not to mention that stacked defensive team, leading to two Super Bowls. Beyond that only 2 losing seasons in 13 years and both of those came after Elway and Plummer respectively left. 138 wins for Shanahan is by far the most in franchise history and 28 more than Reeves. At one time Pat Bowlen, then-owner of the Broncos, said Shanahan would be his coach for life. Though that did not come to fruition, it is clear the impact he had on the Broncos and on the league.