Denver Broncos All Quarter Century Team

The Denver Broncos have been to eight Super Bowls all time. Two of those Super Bowl berths have been in the 21st century, one of which resulted in a World Championship — the Broncos' third Lombardi Trophy.

The 21st century for the Broncos had been a mixed bag. The Broncos have produced 10 playoff seasons, but in the 21st century, the club also had one of its longest streaks of missing the postseason in franchise history.

Fortunately, Sean Payton and Bo Nix have the Broncos on the upswing. On the heels of a 10-win campaign, the 2024 Broncos finally snapped the franchise's playoff drought, and it feels like the dark days of the post-Super Bowl 50 era are finally in the rear-view.

With training camp two weeks out, now is a good time to celebrate the Broncos' history of the 21st century. What better way to do that than with an All Quarter Century Broncos team?

Unlike many All Quarter Century Teams selected by various national media outlets, I'm not going to list honorable mentions or try to get to 53 players. Today, it'll be first and second-team selections on all three sides of the ball.

If you have any bones to pick with my selections, hit me up on X @ChadNJensen. Let's get to it!

Offense | First Team

• Quarterback: Peyton Manning
• Running Back: Mike Anderson
• Wide Receiver: Rod Smith
• Wide Receiver: Demaryius Thomas
• Wide Receiver: Emmanuel Sanders
• Tight End: Shannon Sharpe
• Left tackle: Ryan Clady
• Left guard: Ben Hamilton
• Center: Tom Nalen
• Right Guard: Chris Kuper
• Right Tackle: Matt Lepsis

Offense | Second-Team

• Quarterback: Jake Plummer
• Running Back: Knowshon Moreno
• Wide Receiver: Brandon Marshall
• Wide Receiver: Eric Decker
• Wide Receiver: Courtland Sutton
• Tight End: Julius Thomas
• Left tackle: Garett Bolles
• Left guard: Zane Beadles
• Center: Matt Paradis
• Right Guard: Quinn Meinerz
• Right Tackle: Orlando Franklin

Note: In the instance of Sharpe, I understand that most of his Broncos career was in the 1990s. But he's a Hall-of-Famer and he played two seasons for Denver in the 2000s, so he's on the team.

On the subject of tight end, there's an argument for Noah Fant to be the second-teamer over Thomas. Fant's numbers were higher because he played more seasons as a starter than Thomas. However, Thomas' run was short-lived, but he burned brightly, earning Pro Bowl accolades, and contributing 12 touchdowns to the NFL's all-time highest-scoring offense (2013), and a Super Bowl berth.

Defense | First Team

• Outside linebacker: Von Miller
• Outside linebacker: DeMarcus Ware
• Inside Linebacker: Al Wilson
• Inside Linebacker: John Mobley
• Defensive end: Trevor Pryce
• Defensive end: Derek Wolfe
• Defensive tackle: Sylvester Williams
• Cornerback: Champ Bailey
• Cornerback: Patrick Surtain II
• Cornerback: Chris Harris Jr. 
• Safety: John Lynch
• Safety: Brian Dawkins

Defense | Second Team

• Outside linebacker: Elvis Dumervil
• Outside linebacker: Nik Bonitto
• Inside Linebacker: D.J. Williams
• Inside Linebacker: Brandon Marshall
• Defensive end: Zach Allen
• Defensive end: Shelby Harris
• Defensive tackle: Terrance Knighton
• Cornerback: Aqib Talib
• Cornerback: Bradley Roby
• Cornerback: Deltha O'Neal
• Safety: Justin Simmons
• Safety: T.J. Ward

Note: As is the case with Sharpe, much of Mobley and Pryce's Broncos resume took place in the '90s. But they're two of the best players at their respective positions in team history, and played in the 200s.

Specialists | First Team

• Kicker: Jason Elam
• Punter: Tom Rouen
• Long-snapper: Aaron Brewer
• Punt returner: Marvin Mims Jr.
• Kick returner: Trindon Holliday

Specialists | Second Team

• Kicker: Matt Prater
• Punter: Britton Colquitt
• Long-snapper: Casey Kreiter
• Punt returner: Deltha O'Neal
• Kick returner: Eddie Royal

Note: Once again, the '90s thing rears its head with Elam and Rouen. But they played in the '00s, and were excellent.

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