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Photos: The Broncos' best third-round draft picks

Look back through some of the best third-round draft picks in Broncos history, as the franchise has found some of its best players in that range.

Career stats with Denver: 108 games, 107 starts
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1967: T Mike Current

Career stats with Denver: 108 games, 107 starts

Drafted: 1969 NFL Draft - third round, 61st overall Years with Broncos: 1969-81 Broncos career stats: 179 games, 40 interceptions, three interceptions returned for touchdowns, 21 fumble recoveries, four fumble recoveries returned for touchdowns, 4.0 sacks Ring of Fame induction: 1987 All-Pros: 1977 Pro Bowls/AFL All-Star Games: 1977-78, 1981
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1969: DB Billy Thompson

Drafted: 1969 NFL Draft - third round, 61st overall

Years with Broncos: 1969-81

Broncos career stats: 179 games, 40 interceptions, three interceptions returned for touchdowns, 21 fumble recoveries, four fumble recoveries returned for touchdowns, 4.0 sacks

Ring of Fame induction: 1987

All-Pros: 1977

Pro Bowls/AFL All-Star Games: 1977-78, 1981

Career stats (all with Denver): 187 games, 147 starts
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1973: G Paul Howard

Career stats (all with Denver): 187 games, 147 starts

Career stats (all with Denver): 125 games, 123 starts
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1974: T Claudie Minor

Career stats (all with Denver): 125 games, 123 starts

Years with Broncos: 1991-92, 1997-2000 Experience with Denver: 94 games, 66 starts Broncos stats (per Pro Football Reference): 206 total tackles, 7.5 sacks, two fumble recoveries, four forced fumbles, six passes defensed, one interception, one touchdown Accolades: Three-time Super Bowl champion, including Broncos' wins in Super Bowl XXXII and XXXIII
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1991: DL Keith Traylor

Years with Broncos: 1991-92, 1997-2000

Experience with Denver: 94 games, 66 starts

Broncos stats (per Pro Football Reference): 206 total tackles, 7.5 sacks, two fumble recoveries, four forced fumbles, six passes defensed, one interception, one touchdown

Accolades: Three-time Super Bowl champion, including Broncos' wins in Super Bowl XXXII and XXXIII

Ryan McKee
Three-time Pro Bowler; All-Pro selections in 1995 (second-team by AP), 1998 (second-team by AP) and 2001 (second-team by AP) Two Super Bowl appearances and victories (XXXII and XXXIII) Inducted into the Ring of Fame in 2016 Career stats with Denver: 236 games, 80.6% career FG percentage, 99.5% career extra-point percentage, 63 yards on longest career field goal
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1993: K Jason Elam

Three-time Pro Bowler; All-Pro selections in 1995 (second-team by AP), 1998 (second-team by AP) and 2001 (second-team by AP)

Two Super Bowl appearances and victories (XXXII and XXXIII)

Inducted into the Ring of Fame in 2016

Career stats with Denver: 236 games, 80.6% career FG percentage, 99.5% career extra-point percentage, 63 yards on longest career field goal

One Pro Bowl selection in 1999 (special teams) Two Super Bowl appearances and victories (XXXII and XXXIII) Career stats with Denver: 91 games, two starts
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1996: FB/ST Detron Smith

One Pro Bowl selection in 1999 (special teams)

Two Super Bowl appearances and victories (XXXII and XXXIII)

Career stats with Denver: 91 games, two starts

Two Super Bowl appearances and victories (XXXII and XXXIII) Career stats with Denver: 108 games, 104 starts
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1997: G Dan Neil

Two Super Bowl appearances and victories (XXXII and XXXIII)

Career stats with Denver: 108 games, 104 starts

Pro Bowl selection in 2000 One Super Bowl appearance and victory (XXXIII) Career stats with Denver: 53 games, 51 starts, 62.2 completion percentage, 11,763 passing yards, 71 touchdowns, 84.1 quarterback rating
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1998: QB Brian Griese

Pro Bowl selection in 2000

One Super Bowl appearance and victory (XXXIII)

Career stats with Denver: 53 games, 51 starts, 62.2 completion percentage, 11,763 passing yards, 71 touchdowns, 84.1 quarterback rating

Super Bowl champion (Super Bowl 50), selected to Sports Illustrated's All-NFL team in 2008 Career stats with Denver: 62 games, 50 starts (via pro-football-reference.com)
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2007: T Ryan Harris

Super Bowl champion (Super Bowl 50), selected to Sports Illustrated's All-NFL team in 2008

Career stats with Denver: 62 games, 50 starts (via pro-football-reference.com)

One Super Bowl appearance (XLVIII) Career stats with Denver: 62 games, 44 starts, 222 receptions for 3,070 yards and 33 touchdowns
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2010: WR Eric Decker

One Super Bowl appearance (XLVIII)

Career stats with Denver: 62 games, 44 starts, 222 receptions for 3,070 yards and 33 touchdowns

One Pro Bowl, one second-team All-Pro selection, 2016 Week 10 AFC Special Teams Player of the Week, ranks second in franchise history in interceptions by a Broncos player through his first five pro seasons, two-time Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year nominee Career stats: 74 games, 64 starts, 16 interceptions, one interception returned for a touchdown, 37 passes defensed, one fumble recovery, two sacks, 385 total tackles, 11 tackles for loss, three quarterback hits
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2016: S Justin Simmons

One Pro Bowl, one second-team All-Pro selection, 2016 Week 10 AFC Special Teams Player of the Week, ranks second in franchise history in interceptions by a Broncos player through his first five pro seasons, two-time Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year nominee

Career stats: 74 games, 64 starts, 16 interceptions, one interception returned for a touchdown, 37 passes defensed, one fumble recovery, two sacks, 385 total tackles, 11 tackles for loss, three quarterback hits

Gabriel Christus/© Gabriel Christus
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