Before the Broncos emerged as consistent contender in the late '70s, they built the foundation with a number of great draft picks. (Stats via Broncos' media guide unless noted)
Two-time Pro Bowler, All-NFL selections in 1977 (by AP, UPI, PFW) and 1978 (AP) with Denver
Denver stats (1971-78): 99 games, 98 starts, 14 fumble recoveries, one safety (via pro-football-reference.com), 64.5 sacks (via Broncos media guide)
(Tony Tomsic via AP)
Career stats (all with Denver): 73 games, 62 starts
Four-time Pro Bowler, three-time All-Pro selection (NEA first-team, PFWA and AP second-team in 1973; AP, NEA, PFWA, PFW first-team in 1974; AP first-team and NEA second team in 1975; AP second-team in 1977) with DenverCareer stats (all with Denver): 153 games, 134 starts, 396 receptions for 5,755 yards and 41 touchdowns, 25 rushes for 211 yards and two touchdowns (via pro-football-reference.com)
Two-time Pro Bowler, one-time All-Pro (AP, PFWA, PFW first-team and NEA second-team in 1974 with Denver, 1974 NFL rushing leaderCareer stats (all with Denver): 96 games, 58 starts, 1,023 rushes for 4,453 yards and 25 touchdowns; 131 receptions for 1,302 yards and seven touchdowns; 37 kick returns for 879 yards (via pro-football-reference.com)
Career stats (all with Denver): 182 games, 177 starts, 75.0 sacks
Career stats (all with Denver): 187 games, 147 starts
Three-time Pro Bowler, three-time All-Pro (AP, PFWA and PFW first-team in 1977; AP second-team in 1978, NEA second-team in 1979)Career stats (all with Denver): 191 games, 177 starts, 20 interceptions, three interceptions returned for a touchdown, eight fumble recoveries, 44.0 sacks(AP Photo/Eric Lars Bakke)
Seven-time Pro Bowler, six-time All-Pro (AP and PFW first-team and NEA second-team in 1977; AP, NEA, PFWA and PFW first-team in 1978; PFWA and PFW first-team and AP and NEA second-team in 1979; TSN first-team and NEA second-team in 1980; PFW and TSN first-team and AP and NEA second-team in 1981; AP second-team in 1983) and NFL Defensive Player of the Year, as voted by AP, UPI, Pro Football Weekly and NEA
Inducted into the Broncos Ring of Fame in 1989
Career stats (all with Denver): 145 games, 134 starts, 2,049 tackles, 19.5 sacks, 20 interceptions, four total defensive touchdowns
(Peter Read Miller via AP)
Career stats (all with Denver): 125 games, 123 starts
Five-time Pro Bowler; All-Pro selections in 1977 (NEA second-team), 1978 (AP, NEA, PFWA, PFW first-team), 1979 (AP, NEA, PFWA, PFW first-team), 1983 (NEA first-team), 1984 (PFW and TSN first-team, NEA second-team)Inducted into the Ring of Fame in 1993Career stats (all with Broncos): 166 games, 163 starts, 26 interceptions, 3.0 sacks, four total defensive touchdowns
Four-time Pro Bowler; All-Pro selections in 1976 (AP first-team at KR and PFW first-team at PR), 1977 (AP second-team at KR), 1978 (AP and PFWA first-team at KR, PFW first-team at PR), 1979 (PFWA first-team, AP second-team at KR, PFW second-team at PR), 1982 (AP first-team at KR, PFW first-team at PR), first-team 1970s NFL All-Decade selection, second-team 1980s NFL All-Decade selectionInducted into the Ring of Fame in 2014 Career stats (all with Broncos): 119 games, 267 receptions for 4,369 yards and 24 touchdowns, 248 punt returns for 3,008 yards and eight touchdowns, 95 kick returns for 2,355 yards
Career stats (all with Broncos): 166 games, 151 starts, 30 sacks, 13 fumble recoveries
Career stats (all with Broncos): 150 games, 135 starts, 44 interceptions
Career stats (all with Broncos): 105 games, 93 starts
Broncos stats: 101 games, 41 starts, three interceptions, four fumble recoveries (via pro-football-reference.com)
Career stats (all with Broncos): 153 games, 151 starts
One Pro Bowl, one first-team All-Pro selection
Broncos stats: 73 games, 377 punts, 15,754 punt yards, 41.8 yards per punt
The 2018 draft is over and every team is happy about its selections.
This is especially true in Denver, where John Elway and the Broncos picked the best defensive player in this year's draft, Bradley Chubb of North Carolina State.
All around the NFL the choices are made in as clandestine an atmosphere as possible.
No team wants anyone else to know their thinking, which is entirely logical.
But there was a time in Broncos history when the press literally, honestly and truly, made one draft selection each year for the Broncos.
Only two individuals remain active from that group of media members — Woody Paige of The Gazette and myself.
The years were 1972 through 1976, and the Broncos' head coach and general manager was John Ralston.
"JR" was both an astute judge of talent — he had one of the great drafts in Denver history in 1973 and also drafted first rounders such as Randy Gradishar, Louis Wright and Riley Odoms — but he was also great with the press.
During that period, the draft was 17 rounds long, a far cry from the seven of today.
So by the last few rounds, teams were more or less rolling dice and throwing darts, hoping to find a gem among players who today would be free agents.
So in each of those five years, when it came to the 17th round, John would allow the remaining press (and just a few of us hard-core types stayed till the end) into the war room for the pick.
But we did not just get to watch it.
We got to make it.
John would have the potential future Broncos down to three possibilities, and he told us the strengths and weaknesses of each player.
Then we press members (I was a radio reporter before my long PR career) got to vote, and the player with the most votes by the press had his name turned in and was the 17th-round selection of the Broncos.
For the record, here are the players we selected.
In 1972, it was Lou Harris, a running back from USC who ultimately did not make the team.
In 1973, it was tight end Kenneth Morgan from Elon, who also did not make the team.
In 1974, it was tight end Boyd Brown from Alcorn State. Brown made the team and played three years for the Broncos on special teams and as a reserve tight end. He never started but played in 40 games.
In 1975, the choice was running back Lester Sherman from Albany State, and in 1976, it was linebacker Randy Cozens of Pittsburgh. Neither player made the final roster.
That was Ralston's last season in Denver. And so ended the unusual and intriguing five-year tradition of the Denver press making one draft selection for the Broncos each year.
Ralston believed in teamwork and in having everyone be a part of the organization, and he obviously was using the press in that way as well. But it was still very flattering to have that kind of a relationship with the head coach. It was a memorable moment for me, at least.
