Best Broncos to Ever Wear the Jersey Number: 50-59
USA Today recently presented its list of the best NFL players to wear a particular jersey number, a list that included four former Denver Broncos players: John Elway, Peyton Manning, Terrell Davis, and Gary Zimmerman.
As we approach the 2023 NFL season, let's have some fun and look at who were the best Broncos to ever wear each jersey number, from 0 to 99.
I used Pro Football Reference's Approximate Value to determine most of the selections. In a few cases, I selected more than one player, whether they were tied in PFR AV or there is more than one player who holds significance to the team's history.
In the sixth installment, which covers numbers 50 through 59, you will find some familiar names, including a couple who have had Hall-of-Fame worthy careers
No. 50: Ben Hamilton | OG
Offensive lineman Jim Ryan and linebacker Bobby Maples had fine careers, but it's another offensive lineman who stood out as the best to wear this number.
A fourth-round pick by the Broncos in the 2001 NFL draft, Hamilton didn't take any snaps his rookie season but won a starting job in 2002. He went on to start all 16 games from the 2002-06 seasons but missed the 2007 season with injuries.
Hamilton started all 16 games again in 2008, but in 2009, he started eight games before being benched. He signed with the Seahawks in 2010, which was his final season in the NFL.
No. 51: John Mobley | LB
Bob Swenson was a key member of the Orange Crush in the 1970s, Todd Davis was part of the Super Bowl 50 winning team, and Mike Croel won Defensive Rookie of the Year in 1991.
But Mobley gets the nod as the best to wear No. 51. A first-round pick in 1996, he started all but one game for the next three seasons and received first-team All-Pro honors in 1997.
Mobley missed most of the 1999 season because of injuries, then started 53 games in the next four seasons after that. He finished his career with 491 solo tackles, 10.5 sacks, and five interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown.
No. 52: Ian Gold | LB
Interestingly, another player who made this list wore 52 for his first two seasons. We'll get to him shortly, but first, there's the player who stood out as the best to ever wear 52.
Gold was a second-round pick in the 2000 NFL draft and was mostly a depth player in his first two seasons, but he did earn a Pro Bowl berth in 2001 for his special teams play. In 2002, he started all 16 games and had 100 total tackles and 6.5 sacks.
Gold played six games in 2003, then signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2004. He returned to the Broncos in 2005 and spent the next three seasons with the team. In his seven total seasons with the Broncos, he had 456 total tackles, 382 of which were solo.
No. 53: Randy Gradishar | LB
Interestingly, this Broncos legend wore No. 52 for the first two seasons with the team. He then switched to 53 in 1976 and went on to be the best Bronco to ever wear that number.
Gradishar, a first-round pick in 1974, spent 10 seasons with the Broncos and was the most versatile player on the Orange Crush defense. He had 19.5 sacks and 20 interceptions, with three returned for touchdowns.
During his time with the Broncos, Gradishar was named to seven Pro Bowls and had two first-team All-Pro honors. He is in the Broncos Ring-of-Fame and is currently a senior semifinalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
No. 54: Keith Bishop | OG
Linebacker Chip Myrtle wore this number for the Broncos from 1967 to 1972 while linebacker Brandon Marshall wore it in more recent years. But the best player to wear the number played for the Broncos in the 1980s.
Bishop was a sixth-round pick in the 1980 NFL Draft and was a depth player as a rookie. He missed the 1981 season with injuries, was a depth player again in 1982, then won a starting job in 1983.
He would become a mainstay on the offensive line for the next seven seasons, starting 87 games and receiving two Pro Bowl bids. Bishop is still with the organization as he is the Broncos' vice president of security.
No. 55: D.J. Williams | LB
Rick Dennison, Pete Duranko, and Bradley Chubb are among the players to have worn this number for the Broncos. The best to wear it, though, was a notable linebacker from the early 2000s.
Williams, the Broncos' first-round pick in 2004, made an immediate impact as a rookie with 114 total tackles (81 solo), two sacks, and one interception. He was named to the 2004 NFL All-Rookie team.
The linebacker would surpass 100 total tackles in the 2007, 2009, and 2010 seasons. He spent nine seasons with the Broncos and had 826 total tackles and 20.5 sacks. Williams spent his final two seasons in the NFL with the Chicago Bears.
No. 56: Al Wilson | LB
Wilson was the easy choice as the best to wear 56 for the Broncos. The 1999 first-round pick made an impact in his eight seasons with the franchise.
Wilson had 723 total tackles, 565 solo, and finished three seasons with at least 100 total tackles. Wilson also had 21.5 sacks and five interceptions, with one returned for a touchdown. He was named to five Pro Bowls and was a first-team All-Pro in 2005.
Unfortunately, Wilson's career was cut short because of a neck injury. Fans who remember his impact no doubt hope he'll be named to the Broncos Ring of Fame at some point.
No. 57: Tom Jackson | LB
While a lot of players have worn this number, it wasn't even close as to who was the best. The best to ever wear 57 is one of the most popular Broncos of all time.
Jackson was a fourth-round pick in 1973 and would go on to start 177 games in 14 seasons. An emotional leader on the field, Jackson had 40 sacks and 20 interceptions, three returned for touchdowns, plus three Pro Bowl bids and one first-team All-Pro nod in his career.
After his retirement, Jackson joined ESPN in 1987 and stayed with the network until 2016, when he retired. He later returned to the network for a digital-only edition of NFL Primetime. Jackson is a member of the Broncos Ring of Fame.
No. 58: Von Miller | OLB
This was another easy pick. The No. 2 overall pick in the 2011 NFL draft was arguably the face of the franchise throughout the decade of the 2010s.
Miller spent 10 seasons with the Broncos and tallied 110.5 sacks and 490 total tackles. He was named to the Pro Bowl eight times, was the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2011, was named first-team All-Pro three times, and was Super Bowl 50 MVP.
The Broncos traded Miller to the Los Angeles Rams midway through the 2021 season, and he won a Super Bowl with that team. He is currently playing for the Buffalo Bills, but when Miller does call it a career, a Broncos Ring of Fame and Pro Football Hall of Fame spot are both waiting for him.
No. 59: Joe Rizzo | LB
While center Larry Kaminski, who played for the Broncos from 1996 to 1973, deserves a nod of recognition, the best Bronco to wear 59 was part of the Orange Crush defense.
The Bills selected Rizzo in the 15th round of the 1973 NFL Draft, but he never took a snap for them. He joined the Broncos in 1974 and became a key part of the linebacker corps.
Rizzo started 60 games in seven seasons and had nine interceptions and four sacks. He had three interceptions in one game, which tied the record for most interceptions by one player in a single game.
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