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October 8, 2023, Denver, Colorado, USA: Broncos CB PAT SURTAIN II runs to the south stands to celebrate with fans after an interception during the closing of the 2nd. Half at Empower Field at Mile High Sunday afternoon. Jets beat the Broncos 31-21. Hector Acevedo / IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire

Three Greatest Broncos to Ever Wear the Jersey: No. 2

Originally posted on Denver Broncos on SI
By Chad Jensen | Last updated May 21, 2025 10:00 AM ET

It's that time of year. The NFL draft is in the books, and training camp is still two months out, and while the Denver Broncos will soon host three minicamps (two voluntary, one mandatory), there isn't much to news to cover on the wire.

So what better time than to dive into some Broncos history and celebrate some the greatest and noteworthy players to ever sport the Orange and Blue? One way that Denver Broncos On SI is doing that this year is by highlighting the three best players to ever wear the jersey number.

We started out with the No. 1, and today, we dive into the three best Broncos to rock the No. 2 jersey number.

Patrick Surtain II | CB | 2021-Present

The Broncos drafted Surtain at No. 9 overall in 2021. He was the first pick of the George Paton front-office era, and boy did the Broncos GM hit on it big time.

Surtain became an immediate starter, and after paying his dues and acclimating to the NFL, he broke out in Year 2. He's a three-time Pro Bowler and two-time first-team All-Pro.

The 2024 season saw Surtain dominate the NFL, becoming the first Bronco to win the Defensive Player of the Year award since Hall-of-Famer Randy Gradishar in 1978. The best part? He's only 25 years old.

The Broncos have Surtain signed to a multi-year contract that'll keep him around through 2029.

Mike Horan | P | 1986-1992

Beyond Surtain, the vast majority of Broncos to ever wear the No. 2 jersey are quarterbacks and specialists. Horan has the next-highest Approximate Value metric via Pro Football Reference, so let's talk about him.

A ninth-round draft pick of the Atlanta Falcons in 1982, Horan joined the Broncos in 1986. He earned Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro honors in 1988, and punted in three Super Bowls as a Bronco.

The Broncos cut Horan loose ahead of the 1993 season. He would play for three additional teams post-Denver, with his final NFL game being Super Bowl XXXIV, where he won a ring with the Greatest Show On Turf-era St. Louis Rams.

Cookie Gilcrest | FB | 1965 & '67

Undrafted in 1954, Gilcrest would catch on in the American Football League (AFL) with the Buffalo Bills. He joined the AFL's Broncos in 1965, rushing for 252 yards and six touchdowns.

After a year spent with the Miami Dolphins, Gilcrest rejoined the Broncos in 1967, which was the first year of the Floyd Little era in Denver. Gilcrest only appeared in one game in '67, carrying the ball 10 times for 21 yards, while Floyd 'The Franchise' served as the Broncos' primary ball-carrier.

Gilcrest passed away in 2011 at the age of 75. Little, who'd go on to be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and have his No. 44 jersey number retired by the Broncos, passed away in 2021 at the age of 78.

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