If there is one player on the Denver Broncos who has been part of some big moments in NFL history, it is wide receiver Brandon Stokley.

Since being selected in the fourth round of the 1999 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Ravens, Stokley has had his share of the spotlight.

In his rookie season he caught three passes in the Super Bowl, including a 38-yard touchdown strike in the first quarter.

During the 2004 season, he caught a 21-yard touchdown pass from Peyton Manning that not only gave Manning the single-season passing touchdowns record, but also made the Indianapolis Colts the first team in NFL history with three wide receivers to have over 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns each.

While Stokley may not see it this way, getting injured for all but four games of the 2005 and 2006 seasons was a blessing in disguise.

When he became a free agent on March 1st of 2007, he was not considered to be among the big names on the market.  He was coming off of a serious Achilles injury, and many considered his playing days to be over, especially since he was not going to be catching passes from Peyton Manning anymore.

Stokley signed a fairly modest two year contract with the Denver Broncos in the summer of 2007, but the Broncos would soon learn that he was worth far more than he was getting paid.

In the 2007 season, Stokley played in 13 games and caught 40 passes for 635 yards and five touchdowns.  Undoubtedly though, the most important statistic for Stokley was the fact that he averaged 15.9 yards per reception, easily a first down and then some.

In 2008, it was much of the same from Stokley.  He played through injuries, and in 15 games caught 40 passes for 528 yards and three touchdowns.  Even though his average per reception was not as good, he still had 10.8 yards per catch.

Since his days in Indianapolis, Stokley has been known for being sure-handed on third downs, which is what new Broncos Head Coach Josh McDaniels remembers him for.

“He’s been a pain in the butt from afar really,” McDaniels said. “He’s been one of the best third-down receivers in the league in terms of getting open past the sticks and converting and keeping the offense on the field…He’s a good person for some of our young players to emulate.”

And the young players are definitely taking notice. 

Stokley is said to be one of the top slot receivers the game has ever known by some scouts, and second year player Eddie Royal hopes to become a Wes Welker type slot player in the Broncos’ new offense.

“He’s been great for me—great in helping me grow as a wide receiver,” Royal said. “Just watching him in the slot every day, they should teach tape just watching him, every route he runs. It’s great getting little tips from him.”

While Stokley himself said he feels a bit like he signed as a free agent with another team due to the change in system, Josh McDaniels thinks he is a good fit with what is being called “Patriots West”.

“Brandon is certainly a veteran player who has done a lot of great things in this league and fits really well into our system and what we do,” McDaniels said.

The new system McDaniels brings over from New England requires the wide receivers to be good route runners, but most importantly sure-handed on third down. 

Stokley is the poster child for that role in an offense, and he will fit in very nicely.

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