The 10 most important players on the Denver Broncos

Updated Mar. 5, 2020 12:11 a.m. ET

Sports Illustrated

1. LB Von Miller (40 points)
2. WR Demaryius Thomas (38)
3. CB Chris Harris (30)
4. CB Aqib Talib (20)
T-5. LB Shane Ray (16)
T-5. S T.J. Ward (16)
7. WR Emmanuel Sanders (14)
8. WR Brandon Marshall (13)
9. OT Garett Bolles (12)
10. OT Donald Stephenson (10)

A full two dozen Broncos received votes, from Von Miller's 40 points (four first-place votes) on down through 10th-place nod for Todd Davis, Shaq Barrett and Darian Stewart. The closest teammate to Miller was Demaryius Thomas, who didn't even place as high as second on any ballot—he ranked No. 4 thrice and No. 3 twice.

Emmanuel Sanders had a difficult time finding votes. He did pull in a third-place finish (Marston) but was no higher than eighth elsewhere. And rookie OT Garett Bolles cracked just two ballots (Baskin and Burke), both at the No. 5 slot.

Chris Burke defends his fifth-place vote for Garett Bolles: The Broncos are going to make Bolles earn his starting job, but they didn't spend a first-round pick to bury him on the bench—not after they struggled so badly in 2016 to generate consistent blocking. Bolles will play a huge role this season.

Other Broncos receiving votes: DE Jared Crick, RB C.J. Anderson, OT Menelik Watson (nine points); G Ronald Leary, DE Derek Wolfe (eight); CB Bradley Roby (six); S Justin Simmons (five); DT Domata Peko (four); TE Virgil Green (three); OT Matt Paradis (two); LB Todd Davis, LB Shaq Barrett, S Darian Stewart (one)

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