Best Broncos to Ever Wear the Jersey Number: 40-49

As we await training camp, here are the best Denver Broncos to wear jersey numbers 40-49.

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 fifth installment, which covers numbers 40 to 49, you will find some players who you may not remember, alongside players who are among the best to ever play for the Broncos.

No. 40: Al Carmichael | RB

Nearly every player who wore No. 40 for the Broncos didn't last long with the team. Recent players include Keishawn Bierria, Juwan Thompson, and Justin Strnad, the last of whom is still with the team as of this writing.

The one who had the best PFR AV is Carmichael, who played for the Broncos in their first two seasons as a franchise. He originally played for the Green Bay Packers from 1953 to 1958.

Carmichael didn't play in 1959, then joined the Broncos in 1960 and rushed for 211 yards on 41 carries with two touchdowns. He was active for just six games in 1961.

No. 41: Leroy Mitchell | CB

There are fans who will remember Rob Lytle, the primary running back when the Broncos reached their first Super Bowl. But Mitchell edged out Lytle in PFR Av.

Mitchell started with the Boston Patriots in 1967 and turned in two quality seasons, which included an AFL All-Star nod in 1968. However, he missed the 1969 season with a neck injury, then spent 1970 with the Oilers before coming to the Broncos in 1971.

In his three seasons with the Broncos. Mitchell had seven interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown. He was out of the NFL after the 1973 season.

No. 42: Billy Van Heusen | WR/P

Van Heusen may not be recognizable to younger Broncos fans, but older fans should know that he was one of the better players to play for the team in its earlier years.

An undrafted player, Van Heusen signed with the Broncos in 1968 and split his time between wide receiver and punter. Punting was his primary position, but he did start 25 games at wide receiver in the 1974 and 1975 seasons.

As a receiver, he had 1,684 yards with 11 touchdowns on 82 receptions in nine seasons. As a punter, he averaged 41.7 yards per punt, with his best average at 45.1 yards in 1973.

No. 43: Steve Foley | CB/S

T.J. Ward, a member of the Super Bowl 50 winning team, wore this number, but the best Bronco to wear 43 is from the first Broncos team to appear in the Super Bowl and spent his entire career with the team.

An eighth-round pick in 1975, Foley didn't play a snap that season but was active for the 1976 season and started six games. In 1977, the season in which the Broncos reached the Super Bowl, Foley secured a starting cornerback position, playing at cornerback until 1980.

Foley switched to safety during the 1980 season and played there until 1986, his final year in the NFL. In his 11 years with the Broncos, Foley had 44 interceptions and would go on to enter the Broncos Ring of Fame.

No. 44: Floyd Little | RB

Before Terrell Davis came along, Little was easily the best running back the Broncos ever had. He was a popular player during years in which the Broncos didn't win a lot of games.

The sixth overall pick in the 1967 AFL draft, Little spent nine seasons with the Broncos, rushing for 6,323 yards with 43 touchdowns. He led the NFL with 1,133 yards in 1971 and led the NFL in touchdowns with 12.

Little was named to five Pro Bowls and earned All-Pro honors in 1969. He became the second Broncos player to have his jersey number retired, earned his rightful spot in the Broncos Ring of Fame, and was later inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

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No. 45 (Tie): Steve Wilson | CB

Two players tied in PFR AV here, both defensive players. We'll recognize them both, starting with a cornerback who served mainly as a depth player in his seven seasons with the teams.

Wilson started his career with the Dallas Cowboys in 1979 as a wide receiver, then switched to cornerback in 1980. He later signed with the Broncos and was a quality contributor despite seldom starting.

Wilson had 16 interceptions, including five in 1983, to put him among the team leaders. He also had 3.5 sacks and recovered five fumbles.

No. 45 (Tie): Alexander Johnson | LB

The other player recognized is a more recent player who became a fan favorite for his 'dinosaur' celebration after making big plays. Johnson signed with the Broncos in 2018 as an undrafted free agent and spent most of his rookie season on the practice squad. It was in 2019 that he made an impact.

That season, Johnson eventually claimed a starting job and had 93 tackles with 1.5 sacks and an interception. In 2020, he started all 16 games and had 124 tackles and a sack.

Johnson had 32 tackles and two sacks in his first six games in 2021, but injuries cut his season short. He wasn't brought back after the season and spent his 2022 season with the Seattle Seahawks, mostly on the practice squad.

No. 46: Dave Preston | RB

Names like John Rowser (a defensive back from 1974 to 1976) and Bob Zeman (safety who played in 1962 and 1963) may not be familiar names, but they were quality contributors in their time with the team.

The best player to wear 46 is another name not everyone may remember, but Preston did good things as part of the running back depth chart. A 12th-round pick by the New England Patriots in 1977, Preston never took a snap for them, but signed with the Broncos in 1978 and made the team.

He remained with the team for all six of his NFL seasons, rushing for 1,793 yards on 479 carries with 10 touchdowns. Preston's best season was 1981, in which he rushed for 640 yards with three touchdowns.

No. 47: John Lynch | S

Gerald Willhite was a solid running back for the Broncos in the 1980s, and Josey Jewell has made plenty of contributions in recent seasons. But we look to a Broncos Ring-of-Famer for the best Bronco to wear 47.

Lynch was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1993 in the third round. He didn't make an impact until his fourth season, but after that, he was known as one of the better safeties in the NFL. Lynch spent 11 seasons with the Buccaneers before he joined the Broncos.

In four seasons, Lynch had 271 tackles, seven sacks, and 26 pass breakups for the Broncos and was named to the Pro Bowl each of those four seasons. He went on to become the general manager for the San Francisco 49ers and was named to the Broncos Ring of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

No. 48: Randy Robbins | DB

Shaquil Barrett made quality contributions for the Broncos but wasn't around for that many seasons. The player who gets the nod was with the Broncos for eight seasons.

Robbins, a fourth-round pick in 1984, made his mark as a rookie with two interceptions, one that he returned 62 yards for a touchdown. He would go on to log 11 interceptions in eight seasons, then finished his NFL career in 1992 with the Patriots.

Robbins also had eight sacks in his time with the Broncos, including four in 1986. He mostly played safety but did play a few snaps at cornerback.

No. 49: Dennis Smith | S

The last player we recognize in this installment ranks among the all-time greats to play for the Broncos and one of the best safeties to play for the franchise.

A first-round pick in 1981, Smith went on to play 14 seasons with the Broncos. He had 30 interceptions, 17 fumble recoveries (one he returned 64 yards for a touchdown in the 1984 season), 15 sacks, and was named to the Pro Bowl six times.

Smith, in his later years, formed a strong safety duo with Steve Atwater. After his retirement, Smith took his rightful place in the Broncos Ring of Fame.

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