Is Demaryius Thomas the greatest wide receiver in Broncos history?

On Monday, former Broncos wide receiver Demaryius Thomas has announced his retirement from the NFL following an illustrious 10-year career. The second-leading receiver in franchise history, Thomas was selected to five Pro Bowls during his nine seasons with the Broncos.

It was also announced that the team will honor Thomas at the Broncos home opener against the Jets on Sunday, Sept. 26, at Empower Field at Mile High. He will serve as an honorary captain and be recognized on the field with a video tribute of his career.

With Thomas hanging up his cleats, it begs one question: Where does the former first-round pick rank among the best wideouts in franchise history?

Last year, 1043TheFan.com compiled a list of the 60 greatest Broncos of all-time. Here were the top-10 wide receivers:

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10. Brandon Marshall | WR | 2006-09

During his four-year stint with the Broncos, Marshall received more attention for his non-playing antics than what he did on the field. That was quite a feat, given how productive of a pass catcher he was in Denver’s offense.

Instead, the headlines focused on domestic issues, drunk driving arrests, mysterious injuries that occurred when he supposedly slipped on a McDonald’s bag, nearly getting a penalty after a game-winning touchdown for an excessive celebration and punting the football away from head coach Josh McDaniels during a practice. And that’s the abbreviated list of troubles.

As a result, Marshall’s play on the field went partially unappreciated. During his three seasons as a starter in Denver, the wideout caught more than 100 passes each year, racked up 1,325, 1,265 and 1,120 yards, and found the end zone 23 times. He was a big receiver before that was entirely en vogue in the NFL, making him a favorite target of both Jay Cutler and Kyle Orton.

In 2008, he set a Broncos team record with 18 receptions in a single game. A year later, he bested that mark and broke the NFL’s record for catches in a game when he hauled in 21 passes. On the field, Marshall was a pass-catching machine.

Unfortunately, he wore at his welcome, getting shipped to Miami when he couldn’t get along with McDaniels. From there, the wideout has bounced around from team to team. But those early years in Denver, when he was a raw talent out of UCF who blossomed into a premier wide receiver in the NFL, were special.

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9. Emmanuel Sanders | WR | 2014-Present

During his first five seasons in a Broncos uniform, Sanders has been a prolific wide receiving, hauling in 374 passes for 4,994 yards and 26 touchdowns during that time. If he never played another down in orange and blue, he’d already go down as one of the top-10 pass catchers in franchise history.

Not surprisingly, Sanders was at his best when Peyton Manning was behind center. In 2014, he earned the first Pro Bowl invite of his career with 101 catches for 1,404 yards and nine touchdowns, all of which were personal bests in a single season. The following year, he helped the Broncos win a Super Bowl by snaring 76 passes for 1,135, proving in the process that he could make the tough catches to keep the chains moving.

In the years since, Sanders has been the lone big-play threat in an anemic offense. Even with Trevor Siemian as his quarterback, he was able to crack the 1,000-yard plateau and earn another trip to the Pro Bowl. And last season, the Broncos were pulling out all the stops to get the ball into his hands, evidenced by the fact that he also ran for and threw a touchdown in an effort to spark the offense.

While at times embodying the “diva” persona on modern NFL wide receivers, via off-field issues and ill-advised celebration penalties, Sanders is much more willing to do the dirty work than people think. As a result, he remains the engine to the Broncos offense.

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8. Ed McCaffrey | WR | 1995-2003

McCaffrey came to Denver in 1995 as an unheralded free agent. After stints with the Giants and 49ers, there was little reason for anyone in Broncos Country to take much notice of his signing. During his first four years in the NFL, McCaffrey had started a grand total of four games. But those paying attention knew he had talent; the 49-catch, 610-yard, five-touchdown season he posted during his second year in New York was a glimpse of what was to come.

The receiver’s connection with Mike Shanahan was also a sign. The Broncos new head coach had worked with McCaffrey during the wideout’s lost year in San Francisco, so he was able to see beyond the anemic statistics. Shanahan knew the unique combination of talents that McCaffrey possessed, seeing them as a perfect fit for his offense.

It didn’t take long for McCaffrey to prove the head coach correct and make an impact in Denver. By 1996, he was a full-time starter, becoming a reliable target for John Elway, especially in the red zone. And as his connection with the future Hall of Fame quarterback grew, the Broncos offense also started to trend upward.

During Denver’s back-to-back championship seasons, McCaffrey was a key contributor, especially in 1998; that’s the year in which McCaffrey blossomed, eclipsing the 1,000-yard plateau for the first time in his career en route to a second-straight Lombardi Trophy. But it was his block, and finger point, in Super Bowl XXXII that is perhaps his signature play.

McCaffrey would post three 1,000-yard seasons, capped by a career-best 1,317 yards in 2000 that came via 101 receptions. Unfortunately, the wideout was injured in the opener the next year, derailing his career just as it was starting to take off. He’d return to play two more seasons in orange and blue, but was never quite the same receiver.

Currently, McCaffrey sits fifth all-time in franchise history in receptions (462) and receiving yards (6,200), and is fourth in touchdown catches (46). But it’s the two Super Bowl rings that make him a fan favorite to this day.

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7. Steve Watson | WR | 1979-87

Tall, skinny and not particularly fast. Those were the attributes Steve Watson brought to Broncos training camp in 1979 as an undrafted free agent out of Temple. So most expected the wide receiver to be an early cut.

Then, a funny thing started happening. Watson kept catching passes. If the football was near him, he’d haul it in, making it impossible for the coaches not take notice. As a result, he slowly but surely worked his way up the depth chart.

Ultimately, Watson made the roster, but it took some time to become a part of the Broncos offense. During his first two seasons in Denver, the wideout caught just 12 passes, six in each campaign. That all changed in 1981.

In one of the most-unlikely breakout seasons in franchise history, Watson caught 60 passes for 1,244 yards and 13 touchdowns, becoming a favorite target of quarterback Craig Morton. He also became a surprising big-play option, catching a 93-yard touchdown in Week 4 and a 95-yard score two weeks later. Not surprisingly, Watson earned his only career Pro Bowl nod that year.

The next three seasons were equally productive, as the wideout had 555 receiving yards during the strike-shortened 1982 campaign, 1,133 in ’83 and 1,170 in 1984. The Broncos hadn’t seen that kind of production from a receiver since Lionel Taylor in the early 1960s. At the time he retired, Watson had posted the first-, fourth- and fifth-best pass catching seasons in team history.

To this day, the skinny wideout from an non-powerhouse college is sixth all-time in receiving yards (6,112), ninth in receptions (396) and receiving touchdowns (36), and boasts the third- and fourth-longest TD receptions in franchise history.

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6. Eric Decker | WR | 2010-13

There’s a contingent of Broncos fans that scoff at the notion that Decker was a great receiver. They can’t get over the fact that he tripped over the 40-yard line against the Chargers or slid down before contact at midfield against the Texans. In addition, there’s the whole reality TV lifestyle that rubs them the wrong way.

All of those “issues” simply prevent naysayers from seeing what a productive receiver Decker was during his three seasons in Denver. And he did it in all sorts of ways.

Initially, the wideout was catching passes from Kyle Orton. Then, he was hauling them in from Tim Tebow. And eventually, he benefitted from playing with Peyton Manning. Each step of the way, Decker was able to put up numbers.

When the Broncos offense was sputtering under Orton, Decker was producing. When Denver was winning games despite throwing only two passes with Tebow behind center, the wideout was making the most of the rare opportunities that came his way. And when the orange and blue were lighting up the scoreboard in historic fashion with Manning at the helm, Decker was combining with Demaryius Thomas to be the most-prolific receiving duo in the league.

In 2012, Decker caught 85 passes for 1,064 yards and 13 touchdowns. The next year, he hauled in 83 for 1,288 yards and another 11 scores, helping Manning set the single-season record for TD passes and the Broncos reach Super Bowl XLVIII.

Unfortunately, that dreadful game was Decker’s last in a Denver uniform; he left for the Jets via free agency during the offseason. But that doesn’t diminish what the wideout accomplished during those first four seasons of his NFL career, no matter what the haters want to say.

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5. Haven Moses | WR | 1972-81

After five seasons in Buffalo, Moses arrived in Denver midway through the 1972 season, joining a team that was in desperate need of a big-play threat. The wide receiver paid immediate dividends.

In eight games with the Broncos, Moses only caught 15 passes, but five of those grabs wound up in the end zone. And late in the season, when Denver posted back-to-back wins over the Chargers and Patriots to cap the year with 38- and 45-point performances, respectively, the wideout found pay dirt twice in each game.

That type of production continued the next season, when Moses earned a Pro Bowl berth thanks in large part to catching eight touchdown passes and averaging 18.5 yards per catch. He was a big part of the Broncos posting their first-ever winning season.

All of those accomplishments aside, Moses truly became a legend in Denver during the team’s magical 1977 season. During a campaign in which they went 12-2, made the playoffs for the first time in franchise history and earned a trip to Super Bowl XII, the wide receiver’s “M&M Connection” with quarterback Craig Morton became the Broncos big-play counterpunch to the ferocious Orange Crush defense.

In the playoffs, Moses came up big for Denver, catching eight passes for 234 yards and a pair of scores. Both of those touchdowns came in the AFC Championship Game, when the wideout caught five passes for 168 yards, including a 74-yard score that got the Broncos on the board and a 12-yard TD to ice the game in the fourth quarter.

To this day, Moses is still sixth in Broncos history in touchdown catches (44), ninth in receiving yards (5,450) and 11th in receptions (302). And his per catch average of 18.0 yards is the best among the team’s top-25 receivers of all-time.

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4. Rick Upchurch | WR | 1975-83

When it comes to returning punts, few players in the history of the NFL have ever been better than Upchurch. During his nine seasons, he amassed 3,008 yards and eight touchdowns in that role, making him the premier returner of his day.

Proof of that fact came when the Pro Football Hall of Fame selected two of their All-Decade teams. Upchurch earned first-team honors for the 1970s, as well as a second-team nod for the ’80s; that’s an impressive double dip.

It didn’t take long for the wide receiver to make an impact in Denver. As a rookie, he did a little bit of everything, amassing 1,859 all-purpose yards on runs, catches and returns. That effort earned him a spot on the NFL’s All-Rookie team in 1975.

But he was just getting started. As a follow up in ’76, Upchurch established himself as the best punt returner in the league when he set an NFL record by returning four punts for touchdowns. It was no surprise when he earned his first Pro Bowl invite at season’s end.

Upchurch was far from just a returner, however. He was one of the most-dynamic players in Broncos history, providing Denver with a big-play threat catching passes, running the ball and returning kicks. During his career, he also caught 267 passes for 4,369 yards and 24 touchdowns, while rushing 49 times for 349 yards and three more scores. As just a wide receiver, Upchurch’s name appears in the top-15 of most statistical categories in Broncos history.

But his ability to transform a game on special teams were what made him special. Upchurch had eight career touchdowns on punt returns, by far the most in team history. Only five other Broncos have multiple, with Darrien Gordon second on the all-time list with three. And when he retired, Upchurch had amassed more yards on punt returns (3,008) than any player in NFL history and was tied with Jack Christiansen for the most-ever punt returns for touchdowns (8).

He was a four-time Pro Bowl selection and three-time first-team All-Pro. And Upchurch is a member of the team’s Ring of Fame.

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3. Lionel Taylor | WR | 1960-66

After a forgettable season playing linebacker with the Bears in 1959, Taylor made the jump to the AFL when the fledgling league started play the next season. He signed with the Broncos, where the three-sport star from New Mexico Highlands switched back to his college position. Immediately, it was clear that wide receiver was a much better fit for Taylor.

During Denver’s inaugural season, the wideout was the team’s offensive star. While the team didn’t win many games, going 4-9-1 that year, the fans did have plenty to root for when Taylor was on the field. By the end of the campaign, he had hauled in a league-leading 92 catches for 1,235 yards and 12 touchdowns. Not surprisingly, he was selected first-team All-Pro.

The following year, Taylor proved that his first season wasn’t a fluke. While the Broncos again struggled, he still shined, catching 100 passes for 1,176 yards and four touchdowns. In the process, Taylor became the first professional wide receiver to eclipse the century mark in single-season receptions. He once again was first-team All-Pro, as well as a Pro Bowl invite.

These two seasons were a harbinger of what was to come. During his seven seasons in a Denver uniform, Taylor led the American Football League in receptions five times. He also eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark four times and caught 44 touchdowns. As a result, he was a four-time All-Pro and three-time Pro Bowl selection.

Obviously, Taylor held every Broncos receiving record when he retired. More than five decades later, he’s still fourth in yards (6,872) and receptions (543), and fifth in receiving touchdowns (44) on the franchise’s all-time list. For his efforts, Taylor was enshrined in the team’s Ring of Fame.

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2. Rod Smith | WR | 1995-2006

After unexpectedly making the team as an undrafted free agent out of Missouri Southern in 1995, it took a while for Smith to become a regular contributor. Yes, his first-ever catch came in Week 3 when he hauled in a 43-yard touchdown on the final play of the game to beat the Redskins at Mile High Stadium, but the highlights were few and far between after that moment.

In 1995, Smith had only six receptions for 152 yards. The next year wasn’t much better, as the wideout caught just 16 passes for 237 yards. But in the process, he caught the attention of Mike Shanahan. By the time 1997 rolled around, the head coach was ready to move on from veteran Anthony Miller, making Smith the team’s full-time starter.

The gamble paid immediate dividends. During that ’97 season, Smith became one of John Elway’s favorite targets, hauling in 70 passes for 1,180 yards and 12 touchdowns. The wideout was one of the key contributors on an offense that would power the Broncos to a victory in Super Bowl XXXII.

That was the first of six-consecutive 1,000-yard seasons for Smith, a level he reached in eight out of nine campaigns. During that prolific stretch, he was among the most-productive wide receivers in the NFL.

In 2000, Smith hauled in 100 passes for the first time in his career for 1,602 yards and eight touchdowns; he earned his first Pro Bowl invite in the process. The next year, he caught an NFL-leading 113 passes, setting a Broncos single-season record that stands to this day.

During those years, however, Smith tended to get overshadowed. On his own team, there were bigger stars (John Elway, Terrell Davis) and more colorful personalities (Shannon Sharpe), as well as a fan favorite at wide receiver (Ed McCaffrey). He was underappreciated in Denver, as well as around the league.

By the time his career ended, Smith had put himself atop the Broncos record book in receiving yards (11,389), receptions (849) and receiving touchdowns (68). By comparison, Hall of Fame wide receiver Michael Irvin posted 11,904 yards, 750 catches and 65 touchdowns during his career.

Smith is a member of the Broncos Ring of Fame, but is worthy of being enshrined in Canton, as well.

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1. Demaryius Thomas | WR | 2010-18

The combination of size and speed that Thomas brought to the field is what makes him the greatest wide receiver in Broncos history. He had the wheels to pull away from defenders, while also possessing the frame to outmuscle cornerbacks for the football; as a result, he was a difficult match-up every single Sunday for opposing defenses.

No moment highlights these attributes than what was arguably the most-memorable play of Thomas’ career. During the Wild Card Playoff against the Steelers in January 2012, the wideout hauled in a short crossing route from quarterback Tim Tebow, stiff-armed Pittsburgh’s Ike Taylor and then outran everyone to the end zone for a game-winning, 80-yard touchdown reception.

That play had it all. He gave his quarterback a big target. He had the strength to shed would-be tacklers. And he had the speed to leave defensive backs in the dust. Those traits were on display during each of the seven-plus seasons in which Thomas wore a Broncos uniform. And they’re a big reason why he posted monster numbers during his time in Denver.

From 2012-17, the wideout was the most-prolific pass catcher in franchise history. During that timeframe, he averaged 96 receptions, 1,303 yards and 8.5 touchdowns. Yes, he was the beneficiary of Peyton Manning being in Denver, but more than half of Thomas’ career saw him catching passes from the likes of Kyle Orton, Tebow, Brock Osweiler, Trevor Siemian and Case Keenum. In other words, he could produce no matter who was behind center.

When he was traded to Houston midway through the 2018 season, Thomas was second in franchise history in receiving yards (9,055) and touchdown receptions (60), third in receptions (6) and second in yards per game (72.4).

Thomas was a threat to score from anywhere on the field, with the ability to turn any type of play into a touchdown. That’s what made him a nightmare for opposing defensive coordinators, more so than any wideout in Broncos history.