Broncos' legend continues to be snubbed despite superb career numbers

With the 2026 NFL Draft kicking off this week, anticipation is in the air. The draft is one of the biggest events of the calendar year in the NFL, but following the draft is the period where teams can sign players who went undrafted. 

Few teams have the rich history with undrafted free agents that the Denver Broncos can brag about. Chris Harris Jr., C.J. Anderson, Steve Watson, Lionel Taylor and Rich Karlis are just some of the great players the Broncos have found as undrafted players. 

But former wide receiver Rod Smith stands above them all. Smith is still the team's all-time leader in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns in a career. He ranks 40th in NFL history with 11,389 yards receiving and, truthfully, deserves a long look for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. 

However, his name is rarely mentioned in connection with those talks and in a recent list of the top 10 undrafted players in NFL history, written by Tyler Sullivan of CBS Sports, Smith is left off the list. Perhaps it's because his common name makes him somewhat forgettable, or the fact that his career ended two decades ago, but Smith often goes overlooked. 

Rod Smith is a top 10 undrafted free agent in NFL history

Many of Sullivan's picks are tough to argue with. He has Kurt Warner at No. 1 and Warren Moon at No. 2. John Randle checks in at No. 3 and recent Hall-of-Fame inductee Antonio Gates is at No. 4. That all makes sense. 

But you could put Smith in over Drew Pearson, Priest Holmes and possibly even Tony Romo, despite Romo having a much bigger name. 

Pearson was a great receiver in the 1970s who helped the Dallas Cowboys win Super Bowl XII. But Smith has two Super Bowl rings and more than 3,500 yards through the air than Pearson. Pearson might be more memorable because he played for the Cowboys and was on the receiving end of the play that is now commonly known as the "Hail Mary" when he caught a pass from Roger Staubach on December 28, 1975, to lift Dallas over Minnesota in a playoff game, but he wasn't a better player. 

Holmes had a great peak, but he really only had a few good seasons in the league where he racked up the bulk of his numbers. Smith had a more consistent career. 

All of this is subjective. It's one person's opinion against that of another. But on this list, ranked years ago by Gil Brandt of NFL.com, a long-time NFL executive who went on to cover the league, he has Smith at No. 16, ahead of both Holmes and Pearson. He's also listed ahead of Jason Peters, who is on Sullivan's list. 

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The point is, in this time of season where NFL hopefuls are looking for their shot to shine, it doesn't matter how you get there, as long as you get there. Smith was one of the best and deserves his recognition. 

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