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5 Best Wide Receivers in Denver Broncos History

Matthew Emmons - USA TODAY Sports

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5 Best Wide Receivers in Denver Broncos History

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Zach Kaplan | Last updated Jun 30, 2026 3:02 PM ET

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The Denver Broncos have typically had a dynamic air game across their history, with their greatest quarterbacks -- John Elway, Peyton Manning, and Craig Morton -- rarely without dangerous weapons to throw to.

The strength of its wide receivers and tight ends can't be discounted as one of the reasons why Denver is tied for second on the NFL's Super Bowl appearances leaderboard (don't talk to a Broncos fan about its conversion rate in the big game, though).

Pair that with consistently strong defenses and a powerful run game and you have a formula for team success.

Here are the five receivers who crafted the greatest legacies with the Broncos, not including Hall of Fame tight end Shannon Sharpe.

5. Steve Watson (1979-1987)

Watson was a lifelong Bronco, playing all nine years in the NFL in the Mile High City. After a winding road as an undrafted free agent out of Temple University, Watson really came into form in his third year with the Broncos, leading the NFL with 13 touchdowns (including one for a NFL-leading 95 yards) and posting a career-best 1,244 receiving yards.

Watson's ceiling fell in the strike-shortened 1982 season, but he posted 1,000-yard seasons in 1983 and 1984. In 1984, the Broncos made and lost the first round of the playoffs against the Steelers, but Watson hauled in 11 catches for a franchise-record 177 yards.

Watson retired with 6,112 receiving yards, which was then the second-most in franchise history, and now ranks seventh all-time.

4. Ed McCaffrey (1995-2003)

Denver Broncos receiver Ed McCaffrey on the sidelines against the Kansas City Chiefs at Mile High Stadium.Peter Brouillet-USA TODAY NETWORK

McCaffrey's career in Denver rivals Watson's longevity, as he played nine of his 13 NFL seasons with the Broncos, establishing a reputation as a tough blocker and clutch performer.

McCaffrey was a staple of Elway's offense that repeated as Super Bowl champions in 1997 and 1998, and his legacy was forged equally by his on-ball stats as his off-ball work, as he consistently served as star running back Terrell Davis' field enforcer, willing to take big hits and put his body on the line to give Davis room.

He ranks sixth all-time in receiving yards among Broncos players (fifth among wideouts), totaling 6,200 yards in Denver, including three 1,000 receiving yard seasons.

McCaffrey found the end zone as much as anyone, ranking fourth in receiving touchdowns among Broncos players (46).

3. Lionel Taylor (1960-1966)

Taylor came from a foregone era of AFL football, but that certainly doesn't negate his legacy and the impressive statistical resumé he created.

Taylor is more known for his historic 1961 season, where he became the first player in pro football history to catch 100 passes in a single season, but he excelled over the course of the 1960s, leading the AFL in receptions in each year from 1960 to 1965.

In his rookie year, Taylor recorded an average of 102.9 receiving yards per game, which remains a Broncos record. Taylor was honored appropriately with his induction into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame in 1970 and his place among the inaugural class of the Broncos Ring of Fame in 1984.

2. Demaryius Thomas (2010-2018)

Denver Broncos wide receiver Demaryius Thomas speaks to the local media following OTAs at the Broncos' training facility.Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

One of the most legendary and beloved wide receivers in Broncos history, Thomas was a great part of the Broncos' five straight AFC West titles from 2011 to 2015. His statistical resumé is only one part of the picture, though it was a great one.

Thomas finished his career ranked second among Broncos players in receiving yards (9,055) and receiving touchdowns (60), while setting a franchise record with 36 career 100-yard receiving games.

Thomas was a beacon of consistency during his time in Denver, as while his career peak came with Manning under center, he put together some iconic moments even without Manning passing the pigskin. With Tim Tebow under center, Thomas won it for the Broncos on the first play of overtime in the 2011 AFC Wild Card, delivering an 80-yard catch to the house.

Naturally, Thomas shone in Super Bowl 50, taking home a team-leading 79 receiving yards to help the Broncos to their first title since the Elway years.

Beyond his statistical output, it was Thomas' quiet humility and mentorship that helped the Broncos to such success and paved the way for then-younger teammates like Courtland Sutton to have their moment now.

His No. 88 is no longer available for Broncos players, and he was posthumously inducted as the 38th member of the Broncos' Ring of Fame.

1. Rod Smith (1994-2006)

Smith's journey to becoming a Broncos superstar was far from guaranteed and the product of relentless faith and hard work. Undrafted out of Missouri Southern State University despite being the top player at the Division II level, Smith remained on the practice squad for the entire 1994 season.

The connection between Smith and Elway was evident from the moment they first linked up in game, as Smith's first NFL catch was a 43-yard touchdown to win it for the Broncos against Washington on September 17, 1995.

From there, it was off to the races, as Smith would post eight seasons of 1,000-plus receiving yards, two seasons of at least 100 receptions, and formed a potent duo alongside McCaffrey.

In the Broncos' quest for a repeat in Super Bowl XXXIII, Smith hauled in five catches for 152 yards, which is tied for fifth-most in Super Bowl history, along with an 80-yard touchdown catch.

While his career was derailed due to hip injuries in 2006, Smith leads Broncos wideouts in most major statistical categories and is undoubtedly an all-time great.