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.

Selected in the first round (15th overall) out of Kutztown in 1996, John Mobley made the jump from Division II football to the NFL look effortless. Possessing dynamic sideline-to-sideline speed and sharp instincts, Mobley immediately claimed a starting weakside linebacker job in Mile High, turning in a PFWA All-Rookie campaign that signaled the arrival of a modern linebacking talent.

Mobley's second season in 1997 was arguably his best. Operating as the athletic centerpiece of Greg Robinson’s defense, he racked up a career-high 132 combined tackles, four sacks, and an interception. In one of the most glaring Pro Bowl omissions of the era, Mobley was snubbed for Hawaii despite earning a First-Team All-Pro nod. His defining moment arrived on the biggest stage: with under three minutes left in Super Bowl XXXII, Mobley batted down Brett Favre's fourth-down pass to secure Denver's first Lombardi Trophy.

He remained an essential defensive engine during Denver's repeat championship run in 1998, posting 101 tackles while anchoring the middle of the defense in Super Bowl XXXIII. Over his career, Mobley logged three separate 100-tackle campaigns (1997, 1998, and 2001).

Tragedy struck his prime when a torn ACL in 1999 halted his momentum, though he battled back to regain his starting role. However, a severe spinal injury suffered in a collision during a 2003 matchup against the Oakland Raiders forced his premature retirement at age 30, cutting short a career that was on track for franchise legendary status.

Over his career, Mobley played in 105 regular-season games with 102 starts, plus nine postseason starts. He compiled 621 combined tackles, 10.5 sacks, five interceptions, eight forced fumbles, and seven fumble recoveries.