- Peyton Manning's era dominates the offensive roster: Denver's most explosive offenses supplied many of the selections, including Manning, Demaryius Thomas, Emmanuel Sanders and several key offensive linemen.
- Denver's cornerback room is one of the strongest in the NFL's PFF era: Champ Bailey, Pat Surtain II and Chris Harris Jr. all earned spots, leaving Aqib Talib as a notable omission despite his elite résumé.
- Shelby Harris earned an unconventional spot at nose tackle: Despite logging only 334 snaps at the position, his dominant 91.4 PFF grade at nose tackle secured a place on the roster and helped optimize the defensive front.
As part of PFF's celebration of 20 years of NFL data, we're building an All-Star team for every franchise, highlighting the best players at each position from the PFF era. This installment turns to the Denver Broncos.
PFF's database dates back to the 2006 NFL season, providing a unique lens for evaluating and comparing players across eras. More details on the methodology used to construct these teams are available at the bottom of the page.
Offense
- QB: Peyton Manning (2012-2015)
- HB: C.J. Anderson (2013-2017)
- WR: Demaryius Thomas (2010-2018)
- WR: Brandon Marshall (2006-2009)
- Slot WR: Emmanuel Sanders (2014-2019)
- TE: Tony Scheffler (2006-2009)
- TE: Julius Thomas (2011-2014)
- LT: Garett Bolles (2017-2025)
- LG: Orlando Franklin (2011-2014)
- C: Matt Paradis (2015-2018)
- RG: Quinn Meinerz (2021-2025)
- RT: Mike McGlinchey (2023-2025)
The Broncos' offense reached its peak during the Peyton Manning era, and many of the players who fueled those high-powered units earned spots on this roster.
One of the toughest decisions came at wide receiver, where Brandon Marshall and Courtland Sutton were competing for the final spot among players who never caught passes from Manning. Sutton's longevity made for a compelling case, as his 3,959 routes run rank second in franchise history behind Demaryius Thomas. Marshall, however, was the more productive player at his peak. Across four seasons in Denver, he posted a 29.9% target rate and 2.27 yards per route run, compared to Sutton's 19.3% target rate and 1.64 yards per route run.
Denver's offensive line has been a strength in recent years, and that group is well represented on this team. One challenge was fitting the five best linemen together. Orlando Franklin spent three seasons at right tackle alongside Manning before moving to left guard for one season. That versatility allowed Franklin to slide inside on this roster, creating room for Mike McGlinchey at right tackle.
Defense
- DI: Derek Wolfe (2012-2019)
- DI: Malik Jackson (2012-2015)
- NT: Shelby Harris (2017-2021)
- ED: Von Miller (2011-2021)
- ED: Shaquil Barrett (2015-2018)
- LB: Alexander Johnson (2018-2021)
- LB: Brandon Marshall (2012-2018)
- CB: Champ Bailey (2006-2013)
- CB: Pat Surtain II (2021-2025)
- Slot CB: Chris Harris Jr. (2011-2019)
- S: Justin Simmons (2016-2023)
- S: Kareem Jackson (2019-2023)
Defense has long been Denver's calling card. The Broncos opened the PFF era with consecutive top-10 finishes in points allowed, ended it with another, and consistently fielded strong defenses in between.
Nowhere is that more evident than at cornerback. Champ Bailey and Pat Surtain II each spent time as the NFL's premier cornerback, while Chris Harris Jr. established himself as the league's top slot defender for multiple seasons.
Aqib Talib's omission underscores the strength of the position. He is one of just 24 cornerbacks over the past 20 years to log at least 3,500 snaps with a team while earning a PFF grade above 88.0. That résumé would have been enough to make him the top cornerback on most franchise teams, but Denver also featured Bailey, Surtain and Harris — all of whom recorded higher grades and more playing time. As a result, Talib stands as perhaps the most accomplished cornerback left off any of these rosters.
The most difficult decision on defense came at nose tackle. Denver rarely had a long-term standout at the position, and most players who handled significant snaps there failed to produce high-end grades. Shelby Harris ultimately earned the spot. Although he logged only 334 snaps at nose tackle — the eighth-most by a Broncos defender during the PFF era — he posted a 91.4 PFF grade at the position. That dominant play was enough to move Harris to nose tackle and create room for additional defensive tackles elsewhere on the roster.
Methodology
Selections were based on normalized PFF grades adjusted by season. To balance peak performance and longevity, only a player's five best seasons with a franchise from 2006-25 were considered. Any season with an overall PFF grade below 60.0 was excluded, ensuring that strong years helped a player's case while weaker seasons were not held against him. Postseason play was included, though all seasons were capped at a 16-game equivalent to maintain consistency across eras. At each position, the player with the highest score under this methodology earned the spot.
Each team consists of 12 offensive and 12 defensive players. Because 11 personnel and nickel defense were the league's most common alignments over the past two decades, those personnel groupings served as the foundation for every roster. Teams received either a second tight end or a fullback, depending on whether they used more 12- or 21-personnel. Defensively, teams received either a third interior defender or a third linebacker depending on whether they primarily operated from a 3-4 or 4-3 front.
Players who logged significant snaps at multiple positions during their tenure with a franchise were eligible at either spot. In most cases, those players were assigned to the position where they provided the greatest value, though their versatility occasionally influenced the final roster construction.
Unlike some All-Pro teams that group offensive linemen by position type, these rosters were built according to where players actually lined up. If a team's two best tackles both played exclusively on the left side, only the top left tackle was selected. One of the three wide receivers and one of the five defensive backs was also required to have significant slot experience. In a 4-3 defense, one linebacker needed experience at the Sam linebacker position, while in a 3-4 defense, one defensive tackle needed experience at nose tackle.
When multiple players are listed at the same position, the first name represents the top selection. Players designated as slot wide receiver, slot cornerback, nose tackle or Sam linebacker were selected specifically for those roles rather than as the third-best player within their broader position group.
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