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Who wore it best?

December 11, 2020

When Carmelo Anthony (somewhat) unceremoniously left the Denver Nuggets, the fanbase that had fallen for him was (somewhat) justifiably offended. In the decade since, feelings have softened about the impact Melo had on the franchise, and how he will eventually be regarded. Hell, he may even have his number retired… Well, at one point he may have, anyway.

You have to think that when the young nobody-knows-him-or-understands-him second-round pick out of Serbia made a request to wear Melo’s old number, the equipment guys felt it was a pretty safe bet he’d not supplant Anthony.

But, here we are. When 15 finally flies up into the Pepsi Center rafters, odds are pretty good it will say “Jokic” across the back. Those jersey retirements are a rarity at the Pepsi Center, with only seven in the rafters thus far.

When it comes to Colorado’s favorite sports franchise, with their longer history and vastly larger multitude of players, you’d think the Denver Broncos would have had a few more numbers retired, just in terms of sheer magnitude, let alone three championships along the way. Instead, only three have been retired, with one of them briefly “unretired” in the last decade. Maybe the jerseys are just too precious with that many guys taking the field year after year. With that level of need, the team has literally seen guys in jersey numbers from 0 to 99. But who was the best to ever wear each number? Some of those answers are clear cut, and some are a little tricky. Are any of those “best” playing on the current squad?

Here’s a crack at the list of the best to ever wear every number in the predominantly orange and blue.

Only two players have ever worn the big aught for the Broncos. And though Johnny Olszewski barely made a mark with the team in his retirement year of 1962, he still outshone Kahani Smith, who never made it off the practice squad before being cut earlier this year.

Of the seven players to don numero uno for Denver, Jason Elam stands head and shoulders above the rest. Not even close.

Nine guys on this list, and only Mike Horan stands out. This may be a bit kicker-heavy for a second in these single digits.

Though we all hope Drew Lock can eventually be the best of the nine guys to wear Jersey 3 thus far, Rich Karlis keeps it going for the kickers by a mile.

Seven guys over history, and Britton Colquitt keeps it going for the kicker parade.

Only four guys on this list, and Matt Prater makes it five in a row for the kicking crew. Sorry, but not sorry, Joe Flacco.

Nine guys have worn number six, and we move from the kickers to the QBs. Jay Cutler makes this particular list no contest.

Only four have ever even worn number 7, and though Craig Morton was one of the more valuable players the franchise has ever had, there’s a clear reason that this is one of the three numbers the team has ever taken out of play. John Elway is the capital-M Man of the franchise, and this one is cemented in their history.

Though Gary Kubiak is fondly remember for all his contributions to the franchise, his years wearing the Ocho jersey were primarily to backup the demigod above. While Brandon McManus made some important contributions in it as well, it’s Kyle Orton who finds himself at the top of this particular five-person heap.

Three guys here, with David Treadwell making sure the kickers weren’t completely forgotten.

11 guys have worn the 10 jersey for Denver, with barely-gone Emmanuel Sanders the best who ever wore it by a fair stretch. But I’m pulling for you, Jerry Jeudy.

13 players have worn number 11, with Bobby Anderson the best of the lot back in the 70s. A prime spot for an inbound player to own the one-one.

15 players have worn this one, with one of them somehow actually having the ignominious distinction of ranking a negative one for AV on Football Reference. Charley Johnson was the clear cream of the crop with this crew.

Seven guys have been lucky or unlucky enough to don 13. Though Trevor Siemian made a go at the top, Steve Tensi still made it his clear back in the 60s.

15 guys have also worn 14, with Elway’s replacement Brian Griese at the top of the list.

10 guys have had the 15 jersey on, and this was the first call that was even close. Though Brandon Marshall made his impressive mark with the Broncos in a shorter amount of time, Jim Turner had more time with the team, more reach in the community, and is a larger part of league lore. The closest call yet, by far.

13 players have donned 16, and Jake Plummer keeps the list strong for the QB faction, another one that’s not very close.

Here’s another plum for the picking for some enterprising and upcoming young Broncos player. Of the 15 guys who have worn 17, Steve DeBerg owns this one by a fair bit, and would still be easy to pass for someone with the skills.

Another number that is retired from the team, with only Frank Tripucka having even worn it when it was. But the “unretirement” came when Peyton Manning came to town to take the team to two more Championship games, winning a ring on his way out. Though the jersey is retired for Frank, this number is decidedly Peyton’s place.

Nine guys have worn it, with only Eddie Royal even making much noise amongst the bunch.

Annnnd then the list got long. 22 players have worn jersey 20 for these Broncos, but Louis Wright doesn’t make the argument very hard.

23 players have worn it, and Gene Mingo is a huge part of the formative years of the team. But Aqib Talib still runs away with the “best of” for this one.

19 guys to don number 22, and 1980’s player Aaron Kyle narrowly outpaces C.J. Anderson for the slot.

23 players have worn 23 (how about that?) and though my memories of Sammy Winder are powerful and strong, Goose Gonsulin still own this list since the ’60s.

13 guys have worn number 24, and though there are some powerful players on the list (Hi, Otis Armstrong!), no one can really hold a candle to the champ. Champ Bailey, that is.

15 players to wear this one, with recent departure Chris Harris, Jr. the best of the bunch.

25 players have worn 26, with a ton of familiar names that narrowly finds Clinton Portis at the top.

13 guys have worn 27, but Steve Atwater makes it no contest.

Another one ripe for the picking. Of the 22 guys to wear 28, Kenoy Kennedy has made it his thus far.

16 players here, with Bernard Jackson owning the spot since the 70s.

10 players have worn number 30, one of the few jersey numbers most Broncos fans still associate with a single guy. Terrell Davis burst onto the scene during Denver’s golden era, and we give him a Mile High Salute for making this one his own.

A sweet 16 players have worn jersey 31 for the Broncos, with Mike Harden owning it by a country mile.

18 players here, with Jon Keyworth holding the title since the 70s.

A whopping 27 players have worn jersey 33 for Denver, including an on-his-way-out Tony Dorsett. But 1970s player Joe Dawkins still made the most of it in his couple seasons in town.

14 guys have worn 34 for the Broncos, with Tyrone Braxton making it his over a dozen seasons at a Mile High.

19 guys on this list, with Lenny Walls narrowly owning it after five lackluster seasons in town. Grab that 35, rookies!

11 players here, with Bill Thompson miles away from the rest, after a done years in town that spanned the 60s, 70s, and 80s.

14 players have donned 37, with none of them really setting the world on fire. Actually, none of them even lighting a match. CSU star Cecil Sapp narrowly has an edge. OK, not really. The bottom line is that Denver has never has much of anyone wearing this number. Of all the spots on the list thus far, this would easily be the easiest one to own.

Seven guys have worn 38, with fan favorite Reggie Rivers amongst them. But Mike Anderson’s five seasons from ’00-’05 own the spot by a lot.

11 players, with only Ray Crockett standing out.

19 players here, with nobody off the charts. Al Carmichael, come on down!

15 guys, with Leroy Mitchell holding it down since his two years in the early 70s.

Of the 13 guys to wear 42, no one has taken the crown from Billy Van Heusen since the late 60s. Who? Exactly!

Another 13 on this list, owned by one of my favorite Broncos in history. Steve Foley was a crucial part of the Orange Crush defense, and has his sticky fingers all over stealing this list by a lot.

The last retired number on the list. Miller Farr wore it for a year before Floyd Little swept in and took it off the table forever. One of the true Broncos greats.

Of the 17 guys to wear 45 for Denver, Jim McMillin has held this slot since the 60s

13 players. In the 1970s, John Rowser was the best to wear it thus far.

10 players wore 47, and though John Lynch did his best to make it a close call, Gerald Willhite narrowly runs away with this one.

A dozen guys have worn 48, and if Shaq Barrett had been around a little longer, he’d have surely taken it over from Nemiah Wilson, who’s owned it since the 60s

Nine players have worn 49 for the Broncos, all of them laggards save one. The incomparable Dennis Smith stamps this one as his own.

Of the 14 players to have donned number 50, Ben Hamilton made a hell of a run for the title, but didn’t quite catch Jim Ryan, who owned it for most of the 80s.

20 gents have worn 51 over the years, including the exceptional Bob Swenson. But John Mobley takes this one as his own.

Of the 21 players to wear 52, Ian Gold gave it the most during his seven years with the team.

Though many may remember Bill Romanowski’s turn in the 53 jersey, of the 20 guys to pull it on, Randy Gradishar stands head and shoulders above them all, spitting in the face of Romo’s contention.

21 guys have worn 54, but Keith Bishop made it his own throughout the 80s, and has very little competition from the rest of the list.

D.J. Williams outpaces the other 16 guys competing for the 55 title.

20 guys wore it, but Al Wilson’s seven seasons coming into the aughts makes it barely a contest.

Another of those “why bother?” numbers for the franchise. While a few other decent names have graced the list of 18 players to wear jersey 57, the one and only Tom Jackson outshines the rest by miles.

14 players have worn jersey 58, but we also have a clear winner in the spot. Additionally, Von Miller may be the only current Broncos player to own a slot on this list. We shall see.

A lucky-or-unlucky 13 players show up having worn 59 over the years, with Joe Rizzo taking the spot since his six solid years for the squad in the 70s.

Of the dozen guys to wear jersey 60, Paul Howard’s 13 season with the team make him the clear champ of this one.

Another dozen at 61, with Tommy Lyons taking it clear back in the 70s.

12 more players at 62, and while Tom Glassic’s seven years were impressive, they cannot compete with the seven years Dan Neil put in to own this slot.

14 players at 63, with Dave Costa owning it due to four solid seasons from ’67-’71.

Of the 14 guys who saw time in 64, Bill Bryan’s decade in the jersey makes him the standout amongst the group.

A fairly sweet 16 guys on this list, with Gary Zimmerman’s four years the shining star amongst them.

14 guys, but Tom Nalen makes it look as it there was only one.

16 players to also wear 67, and none have done it as well as George Goeddeke back in the 60s and 70s.

Of the 16 more players to don 68, Rubin Carter’s decade in it also has him without any peers in the group.

Nine more here, but Mark Schlereth owns this one by an order of magnitude.

The stud amongst the 14 guys in the “70” class is Dave Studdard, by a lot.

15 gents have pulled on the 71 jersey, and though Greg Kragen gave it his all to take the top spot, he couldn’t quite catch up to Claudie Minor, his predecessor by a few years.

Jersey 72 has had 14 players over the years, with Keith Kartz the current title holder from his five solid seasons with the team.

19 players have been on the field for Denver in the 73 jersey, but the runaway terror of the group was the guys terrorizing opposing quarterbacks for 10 years. You were a b last to watch, Simon Fletcher.

Of the 18 players who have played in jersey 74, the clear winner is Mike Current, who played for Denver from ’68-’75

Speaking of 75, there were 16 more Broncos to come down the pipe wearing that number. But none came very close to the exceptional Rulon Jones.

Though a whopping 23 players have worn number 76 for Denver, Ken Lanier’s 11 seasons here make this one no contest whatsoever.

Though Lyle Alzado is a fun remembrance in the 77 jersey, he’s the only other guy you’d even think of our of the 20 who have worn it EXCEPT for the clear and runaway owner. Karl Mecklenburg nearly doubles the output of Alzado for Denver in his time here, a clear show of how simply dominant a player he was.

Of the 14 guys to wear jersey 78, Ryan Clady gave it his all to own the spot, but never quite caught his predecessor, Matt Lepsis.

Barney Chavous’ dozen stellar years in this number help him easily outpace the dozen other gents who tried it on for size.

17 names on the list for jersey 80, with a couple scintillating options like Mark Jackson and Rick Upchurch. But undrafted hero Rod Smith came to town, and spent eleven seasons outpacing the work of Upchurch and Jackson combined.

Of the 24 guys who wore 81, none even comes close to Steve Watson, one of the most consistent receivers the Broncos have ever had.

21 players on this list with a third of the Amigos making sure to claim one of the spots. It was a fun era, Vance Johnson.

21 more in jersey 83, with no one completely running away with it. Anthony Miller is in the top spot by a good margin, but not with the numbers many of the folks in surrounding numbers brought to the table.

Of the 22 gents who spent time wearing 84, Shannon Sharpe is the clear and runaway winner of the spot, and he’d be happy to tell you all about it.

Another achievable spot. 25 players over the years, and currently owned by Ashley Lelie. But not like…

Quick, who was the best player to ever wear number 86? Of the 22 who have done so, this category is very narrowly owned by Arthur Johnson, who had a cup of coffee with the team in the 90s.

And we’re back. Though Lionel Taylor tried to make this his own in the 60s, there were 16 more who tried, with a gent named Eddie McCaffrey eventually knocking Taylor out of the top spot.

13 players, with 11 seasons of Riley Odoms making this one not particularly close.

19 more, with the top spot being owned by… 10 seasons of Dwayne Carswell.

15 players wore number 90 over the years with the Broncos, and Neil Smith definitely made it his own.

Alfred Williams only spent three season in the 91 jersey, but makes this no contest against the dozen others who tried.

Of the 10 gents who have worn jersey 92 over the years, only the king really made something out of it. Elvis Dumervil, you were blast to watch.

And eight more in the 93 group, with only Trevor Price making much of anything out of it.

A dozen players wore 94 for Denver, and DeMarcus Ware tried very hard to make it his own. But Keith Traylor never quite gave up the spot.

He’s not long gone, but Derek Wolfe has this spot over his 16 compatriots by a lot.

A slight list here, with only 10 players having tried on 96, and Harold Hasselbach being the one to have made the most of it.

134 guys have worn jersey 97, with the slightest of edges going to Malik Jackson over… Mike Lodish? We need a new stud in at 97.

Of the 14 players to have worn 98, Maa Tanuvasa takes it by a stretch. Maa is the man.

And as we go out with more of a whimper than a bang, of the 14 guys to have worn jersey 99, Shane Dronett and Kevin Vickerson make it a dead heat amongst a pretty tepid crew.

There are some spots for a new superstar amongst that list, are there not DNVR Nation? Were there any surprises? Anyone left out? Is it hard that there’s only one name on the list who is currently with the team? However you feel, here’s hoping whatever Broncos jersey you put on for this weekend’s game, that you wear it well, and that it has the name and number of the player dearest to your heart. Have a great weekend.