Another member of the legendary 2015 Denver Broncos defense has made our Top 50 list. Welcome Aqib Talib, a key member of that defensive secondary.

While Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware were the team’s pillars in the historic 2015 Super Bowl, it was the secondary that sealed the victory. Aqib Talib and Chris Harris Jr. were the best cornerbacks in Denver Broncos history. While the Super Bowl was the pinnacle of that defense, a Week 6 game against the undefeated Green Bay Packers solidified the No Fly Zone’s legacy.

Aaron Rodgers finished the game 14/22 for 77 yards. He threw no interceptions, but he didn’t have much of an opportunity to throw anything that game. I recall a play where he fumbled around the pocket for seven seconds before throwing a duck to no one out of anger. The No Fly Zone made it impossible for any player to find an opening.

Aqib Talib would play four seasons in Denver, recording just 11 interceptions. But he returned six of them for touchdowns. He was the type of player that the defense required to maintain an advantage in ever

Many people disliked Talib because of his loud demeanor and his borderline dirty play, yet he appeared to toe the line quite effectively. He gave the Broncos’ secondary an advantage that it might not have had otherwise, and without that advantage, will the 2015 squad win the Super Bowl? I am not convinced. That defense required every “dawg” they had that year to overcome an offense that was frequently lackluster.

It’s not unexpected that Aqib Talib made the Top 50 list, but I was startled by how highly we rated him. Perhaps there’s a recent bias there. While you can question his final ranking of #21 (which is appropriate given that it was also his jersey number in Denver), you can’t argue his inclusion in the final Top 50.