Signed as an undrafted free agent out of Temple in 1979, Steve Watson entered pro football with zero fanfare, yet developed into one of the most productive deep threats in franchise history. After working his way up through special teams, Watson earned a starting role at wide receiver in 1981 and immediately took the league by storm.

Watson's breakout 1981 season saw him catch 60 passes for 1,244 yards, leading the NFL with a staggering 20.7 yards per catch and a league-best 13 receiving touchdowns. That stellar performance earned him his sole career Pro Bowl selection and Second-Team All-Pro honors, establishing him as the focal point of Denver's passing attack.

He remained a high-volume weapon as John Elway assumed the quarterback reins in 1983. Watson posted back-to-back 1,000-yard campaigns in 1984 (1,170 yards) and 1985 (1,157 yards), placing him in the top ten league-wide in receiving yards in both seasons. His ability to track deep passes downfield provided Elway with a trusted target during the early signature drives of his career.

Watson served as a key contributor on two AFC Championship squads, starting at wide receiver in Super Bowl XXI and appearing in Super Bowl XXII. A steady veteran presence until his retirement after the 1987 season, he walked away ranked near the top of every major receiving category in team history.

Watson played in 126 games with 353 receptions, 6,112 receiving yards, and 36 receiving touchdowns.

Selected out of little Yankton College in the fourth round of the 1971 draft, Lyle Alzado made an immediate splash in Colorado. Originally brought in as depth, he was thrust into a starting role as a rookie following an injury and responded with eight sacks. His fiery intensity and unhinged playing style quickly turned him into an iconic fan favorite in Mile High long before he ever donned Silver and Black.

Alzado was an absolute terror off the edge throughout the 1970s. In 1972, he posted 10.5 sacks while leading the entire NFL with five opponent fumble recoveries. By 1974, he logged a team-high 13.0 sacks, establishing himself as one of the premier interior and edge disruptors in pro football.

His finest season in Denver arrived during the magical 1977 campaign. Operating as the premier pass-rushing menace of the legendary "Orange Crush" defense, Alzado spearheaded the front seven with 8.0 sacks and 80 tackles. He was named the UPI AFC Defensive Player of the Year, earned a Consensus First-Team All-Pro selection, and garnered his first career Pro Bowl nod while leading Denver to its first-ever AFC Championship and Super Bowl XII appearance.

He backed that up with a second Pro Bowl trip and Second-Team All-Pro honors in 1978. However, contract disputes and a rift with management led to a bitter trade to Cleveland before the 1979 season, cutting his Mile High tenure short before he eventually won a ring with the Raiders and his profile exploded nationally.

With the Denver Broncos, Alzado had 64.5 unofficial sacks, 593 tackles, 14 fumble recoveries, and a safety.

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.