Before the NFL banned the open-handed head slap, offensive tackles in the AFL feared Rich Jackson. Originally signed by Oakland as an undrafted linebacker in 1966, Jackson was traded to Denver after his first season. The coaches wisely moved his 6-foot-3, 255-pound frame to defensive end. With a rare combination of quick closing speed and raw strength, he quickly earned the nickname "Tombstone"—because, as teammates said, when he hit someone, they were like heading to their grave.

Between 1968 and 1970, Jackson established a reign of terror, making it one of the most destructive periods for any edge rusher in pro football history. Known for his brutal head-slap move called the "Halo Spinner,” he dominated top-tier tackles like Kansas City's Jim Tyrer and Oakland's Bob Brown, tossing them aside effortlessly. He achieved three straight First-Team All-Pro selections (1968–1970) and earned three All-Star/Pro Bowl honors. Jackson was also the first in franchise history to receive First-Team All-NFL honors after the AFL-NFL merger in 1970. Although sacks weren't officially recorded, film analysis suggests he accumulated approximately 31 to 33 sacks during those three years.

Tragically, Jackson's peak of stardom was cut short at its highest point. During the 1971 season, a serious knee injury sustained against Green Bay severely limited his lateral mobility. He made a brief comeback attempt in 1972 before retiring, leaving behind a short yet undeniable legacy as a formidable game-wrecker. Legendary writer Paul "Dr. Z" Zimmerman regarded him as one of the best overall pass rushers he had ever seen.

In his seven-year NFL career, Jackson played 67 games for Denver, with an unofficial 43.0 sacks and two fumble recoveries. A three-time First-Team All-Pro, three-time Pro Bowler/AFL All-Star, and Second-Team AFL All-Time Team selection, "Tombstone" was enshrined as one of the four first members of the Denver Broncos Ring of Fame in 1984.

Taken in the 12th round (334th overall) out of North Dakota State in 1987, Tyrone Braxton entered the pros with long odds, but his instinctual versatility turned him into a mainstay in Denver's secondary. After serving as a backup as a rookie, Braxton claimed a starting cornerback job in 1989, recording six interceptions to help lead the Broncos to Super Bowl XXIV.

His initial stretch in Colorado was turbulent. Following a disappointing 1993 team performance, Braxton was released and spent the 1994 season with the Miami Dolphins. However, Denver brought him back in 1995 and shifted him to safety—a positional change that revitalized his career and unlocked his best football.

Braxton became a vital secondary leader during the peak of the Mike Shanahan era. His banner year arrived in 1996, when he co-led the entire NFL with a career-high nine interceptions, earning his first Pro Bowl selection. He followed that up as a primary defensive engine during Denver's back-to-back championship runs, picking off Brett Favre in Super Bowl XXXII to set up a crucial Broncos touchdown.

Braxton retired after the 1999 season having played in four Super Bowls with the franchise. Fittingly, his 34 interceptions in Denver matched his No. 34 jersey.

When Bill Romanowski signed with the Denver Broncos in 1996, he brought two things to the Mile High City: a resume that already included two Super Bowl rings with San Francisco, and a reputation as one of the most ruthless, unapologetically dirty players to ever put on an NFL uniform. He was volatile, frequently fined, and constantly pushed the boundaries of the rulebook—but that exact win-at-all-costs intensity was exactly what Mike Shanahan felt his defense needed to get over the championship hump.

Romanowski immediately injected a nasty, unyielding swagger into the Denver linebacking corps. Operating as a highly intelligent, sideline-to-sideline enforcer, he set the unit’s physical tone. He backed up his relentless trash talk with highly productive play, earning his first career Pro Bowl nod in his first season in Colorado after racking up 77 tackles and three interceptions.

His peak with the franchise perfectly aligned with the greatest era in Broncos history. "RomoCop" served as the emotional and physical heartbeat of the defense that finally secured John Elway his elusive championships. He was an indispensable force during Denver's back-to-back Super Bowl titles (XXXII and XXXIII), earning his second Pro Bowl selection in 1998 after registering a career-high 7.5 sacks and 72 tackles. He departed the team in 2002 for Oakland.

Over his six seasons in Denver, he never missed a game, proving as durable as he was controversial. Romanowski had 433 combined tackles, 23.0 sacks, 11 interceptions, and seven fumble recoveries.

A 9^th Round Pick from New Mexico in 1968, Paul Smith would become the starting Left Defensive Tackle in 1970 and switched over to Right Defensive Tackle in 1972 would be named to his first of two Pro Bowls.  His second one, which would come the year after, would see him make it as a Left Defensive Tackle.  Smith would move back to Right Defensive Tackle and then to Right Defensive End.  He would start 86 of his 133 Games played with the Broncos.

Denver enshrined Smith to their Ring of Fame in 1986.