Miller was the No. 2 overall pick in the draft, which was officially the highest pick the Broncos had ever qualified for in the draft. The Broncos are one of only a few teams to have never held the No. 1 overall pick.
Miller was a hit for the Broncos out of the gates, earning accolades and helping the team win the division and make the playoffs. Only a few short years into his career, though, he got into some trouble with the NFL’s drug policy, serving a six-game suspension, and tore his ACL in 2013.
Then the Broncos signed DeMarcus Ware in free agency — Miller’s lifelong idol — and things began to turn around. In 2014, Miller bounced back with a tremendous season alongside Ware, but both pass rushers saved their best for 2015’s Super Bowl run.
Without Miller, the Broncos don’t make it to Super Bowl 50, let alone win. Miller was a terror throughout the playoffs, and against the Carolina Panthers, he forced two takeaways, sacking Cam Miller multiple times, and finishing as the Super Bowl 50 MVP.
Miller continued to lead the Broncos after Manning’s retirement in 2016. But the next several years would be a dark period for the Broncos, with an unprecedented stretch of losing.
Miller still did his thing and produced on the field, but injuries began to slow him somewhat. He was traded to the Los Angeles Rams in 2021, where he won another Super Bowl.
All in, though, Miller totaled 110.5 sacks as a Bronco, earning eight Pro Bowl selections and seven All-Pro nods. He helped bring home the club’s third Lombardi Trophy and will one day retire as a Bronco. Miller is a lock to join Gradishar, Atwater, and other great Broncos, including former teammate Champ Bailey, in Canton.
Talk about a draft pick that altered franchise history.
Patrick Surtain II | CB | 2021