Recently the Broncos Wire staff has published the first two parts of our position-by-position series, looking at the best quarterbacks and fullbacks in the proud history of the Denver Broncos.

Now we will be looking at the position that revolutionized the modern passing offense and has played a large role in the success of the Broncos over the past few decades. Tight ends have become an effective way for offenses to create position matchup issues for defenses, forcing the team to put a linebacker in pass coverage or use a defensive back on the tight end and open up opportunities for a wide receiver on the outside.

Looking at the greatest tight ends in Broncos history there are many players to consider, but these four are atop the list.

4. Tony Scheffler

The 2006 second round draft pick was one of Jay Cutler’s favorite targets and his impact in both the running game and passing game earned him a lot of playing time early in his career.

In four seasons with the Broncos, Scheffler recorded 138 receptions and hauled in 14 touchdowns, nine of which came in his first two seasons. Scheffler thrived in Mike Shannahan’s rollout offense, but saw little success once Josh McDaniels rolled into town.

Scheffler was ultimately traded to the Detroit Lions, ending his time in a Broncos uniform. The former Western Michigan star could have developed into a superstar in Denver, but he was one of many players shipped off in the McDaniels era, and did not see much success after leaving the orange and blue.

It is tough to say what kind of impact Scheffler could have made if McDaniels was never brought in, but based on his early production, I believe he could have developed into one of the prominent pass-catching tight ends in the league.

3. Julius Thomas

A converted basketball player out of Portland State University, Thomas took the NFL by storm when he broke out as one of the league’s most athletic and dynamic pass-catchers. Paired with Peyton Manning, Thomas thrived in the orange and blue, playing a crucial role in the record setting passing offenses of the early portion of the Manning-era.

From 2011-2014, Thomas recorded 109 receptions and hauled in 24 touchdowns, although all 24 occurred between the 2013 and 2014 seasons. With Eric Decker and Demaryius Thomas on the outside, teams struggled to cover the Broncos versatile trio and the passing offense thrived.

When Emmanuel Sanders joined the picture, Thomas continued to thrive before getting injured. Once Thomas was out of the picture, the decline of the passing offense became very evident and never reached the the production of 2013 again.

Manning’s passing game always thrived with a productive tight end in the middle, going back to his days with Dallas Clark in Indianapolis and continuing in Denver with Thomas, Jacob Tamme and eventually Owen Daniels in 2015.

Thomas’ size and athleticism made him nearly impossible to cover on a regular basis and Manning was able to exploit the mismatch accordingly. Thomas’ time with the Broncos ended on somewhat of a sour note, but there is no denying his impact and production in Denver.

2. Riley Odoms

Odoms set the standard for tight ends in a time where there were not a lot of prominent players at the position. A four-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro, Odoms started 134 games for the Broncos in the 1970s.

Odoms, to this day is one of the highest drafted tight ends in NFL history, being selected with the fifth overall pick in the 1972 NFL Draft out of the University of Houston. Odoms is tied for second with Mike Ditka (Chicago, 1961), and is only behind Ron Kramer, who was selected fourth overall in 1957 by Green Bay.

Odoms played his entire 12-year career in a Broncos uniform, and was a member of the 1978 AFC Champions, before ultimately losing to the Dallas Cowboys 27-10 in Super Bowl XII. Odoms finished his career with 396 receptions, 41 receiving touchdowns and 5,755 receiving yards. Odoms was also the team’s leading receiver from 1973-1978, and played a large role of the success of the organization throughout his tenure.

1. Shannon Sharpe

The charismatic and always entertaining Shannon Sharpe is hands down the best tight end in Broncos history. Sharpe was a member of the Broncos from 1990-1998 and after winning a Super Bowl with the Ravens in 2000, rejoined the team to finish his career from 2002-2003.

During his time, Sharpe was the best player at his position and long before there was Rob Gronkowski, Sharpe was tearing up the league on a yearly basis. In a Denver uniform, Sharpe recorded 675 receptions and 55 touchdowns, appeared in seven Pro Bowls, was a four-time All-Pro and the starting tight end for the Broncos first two Super Bowl victories.

Sharpe’s historical accolades go on and on; a member of the All-Decade team for the 1990s, 2011 Hall of Fame inductee and of course a Broncos Ring of Fame inductee. Sharpe is not only the greatest Broncos tight end in history but in the conversation with players like Tony Gonzalez for the greatest tight end in the history of the league.

Sharpe’s consistent hands, combined with his natural athleticism and raw strength made him an impact player in every aspect of the game. Sharpe would flatten a linebacker, blocking for Terrell Davis and catch a touchdown later in the drive.

Sharpe’s infectious smile, rambunctious personality and continued loyalty to the Broncos organization has made him a fan-favorite in Denver for years. Broncos country will hope to see Sharpe continue to support the orange and blue as he starts his newest media endeavors, hosting a show with the infamous Skip Bayless on Fox.