Former wide receiver and returner Eddie Royal was the best player to ever wear No. 19 for the Denver Broncos, despite playing just four years with the club.
Believe it or not, Royal actually wore No. 19 longer than any other player in franchise history. Former kicker Fred Steinfort wore it for three seasons (1979-1981) and wide receiver Fred Brown wore it for two years (2019-2020). Every other player in franchise history besides Royal (up until 2023) wore the number for just one season with the Broncos. (Marvin Mims currently wears No. 19 and he is entering his second season.)
Royal was picked by the Broncos in the second round of the 2008 NFL draft out of Virginia Tech. He made an immediate impact, totaling 91 receptions for 980 yards and five touchdowns while also totaling 740 return yards as a rookie.
Denver switched coaches after Royal’s first season and the switch from Mike Shanahan to Josh McDaniels hurt the receiver’s production. He ended up totaling 206 receptions for 2,107 yards and nine touchdowns in four years with the team.
Royal’s 967 return yards rank sixth in franchise history and his 1,375 kickoff return yards rank ninth. His three returns for touchdowns are tied for third in franchise history. Had he spent his entire career with the Broncos, Royal could have ranked even higher.
Shout out to Eddie Royal, Denver’s best player to ever wear No. 19.
