5 Best Running Backs in Denver Broncos History

Whether you'd put Anderson or Armstrong at this spot is a matter of personal preference. Inarguably, however, was the sheer improbability of Anderson's path to NFL stardom as a former U.S. Marine without any football experience prior to his time in service.

After joining the 11th Marines contact football team, Anderson excelled at a junior college in California, leading to a scholarship at the University of Utah, where he broke school records for the most rushing yards per game (102.4)

Taken with the 189th overall pick in 2000, Anderson was nearly 27 years old when he made his NFL debut, but it was well worth the wait. He totaled 1,487 yards in his rookie season, became the first rookie with three games of 175-plus yards, and received the franchise's first NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award.

Plagued by injuries in the subsequent years, Anderson's role changed to a bruising fullback in front of Portis, but he returned to form in 2005, rushing for 1,014 yards in 15 games.

Even with the bumpiness of his time in Denver, Anderson's story is nothing but legendary and comes in sharp contrast to the success of Armstrong as a heralded first-round prospect.

3. Sammy Winder (1982-1990)

A common theme of this list is that the Broncos seem to have the Midas touch with late-round running back prospects. Winder is no exception, being taken in the fifth round of the 1982 NFL draft. He was the 21st running back off the board and only one of four to make a Pro Bowl.

Playing alongside Elway, Winder made two Pro Bowls in 1984 and 1986, with the former being his lone 1,000-yard season. While Winder's career wasn't marked by tremendous peaks like Portis or Anderson, he was a beacon of consistency, finishing his career with the third-most rushing yards in franchise history (5,427).

Winder played an integral role in helping Elway's Broncos team make three Super Bowls in four years (1986, 1987, and 1989), though they could never get over the hump.

2. Floyd Little (1967-1975)

In the Broncos' infancy as a franchise, there wasn't a ton to cheer about; it took the franchise 18 years from their inception as an AFL team to make the playoffs in 1977 as a team that had survived the AFL/NFL merger.

Little, however, was one of the few bright spots in those first years, as the franchise's first true star, whose greatness is often lost in the darkness of those years.

With his 1,133 rushing yards in 1971, Little became the first Broncos player to rush for 1,000 yards in a season. Standing at 5-foot-10 and 196 pounds, Little redefined the running back position with his success despite his smaller stature.

By his retirement, Little had set franchise career records with 54 touchdowns and 12,173 total yards, earning five Pro Bowl/AFL All-Star selections in the process.

Known as "The Franchise," Little was quite literally the reason the Broncos are still in Denver today, as his signing restored faith in Denver's ability to build a successful football team. And Little embraced his role and recognition, knocking on countless doors to drum up the necessary financial support to expand the team's stadium to meet NFL standards.

1. Terrell Davis (1995-2002)

The undisputed king of Broncos running backs, Davis returns this list to the theme of the Broncos' excellence in finding late-round halfbacks. Davis was the 17th running back off the board in 1995, a draft that included Curtis Martin and Travis Jervey.

While the future Hall of Famer Martin was a savvy pick for the Patriots at pick No. 74, Davis was easily the steal of the draft at No. 196.

Davis played his entire career in Denver, and went down as the franchise's all-time rusher with 7,607 yards and 60 rushing touchdowns. He earned the NFL Offensive Player of the Year in 1996 after rushing for 1,538 yards and 13 touchdowns.

Davis kept upping his game in 1997 and 1998. In 1997, he rushed for 1,750 yards and a league-high 15 touchdowns. Davis was named MVP of Super Bowl XXXII, where he rushed for 157 yards and three rushing touchdowns, including the game-winning score with 1:45 left in the game.

His 1998 season was by far his best, though, as he became the fourth player in NFL history to rush for 2,000-plus yards. In addition, he scored a franchise record 21 touchdowns, earned NFL MVP honors, and helped the Broncos to a second-straight title.

Davis was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017.

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