Broncos Harris Jr an All-Pro at new DB slot; Talib, Miller named too

The newly-revamped roster for the Associated Press All-Pro team has already paid off for Denver Broncos cornerback Chris Harris Jr.

Harris Jr, along with linebacker Von Miller and cornerback Aqib Talib, was named to the 2016 NFL All-Pro team Friday, taking advantage of the recently formed defensive back position.

In previous years, the AP’s panel of sports writers would have only two cornerback positions in which to vote players into, which would have left Harris Jr on the outside looking in once again.

Instead, after two straight seasons being named a second-team All-Pro, Harris Jr earned a first-team nod for the first time, joining Cornell Green, Emmitt Thomas, and Everson Walls as the only undrafted cornerbacks to do so with their original team.

This is Talib’s second first-team All-Pro selection, and his first with the Broncos.

The duo, both members of the “No Fly Zone,” helped lead Denver to the top-ranked passing defense in the NFL in 2016. The Broncos gave up 2,927 yards, the only team to hold opponents below the 3,000-yard threshold for the season while taking away the ball 18 times.

Miller earns his third first-team All-Pro selection, coming in second in the NFL with 13.5 sacks in 2016. He’s just the ninth player in franchise history to be named to three or more All-Pro first teams, and the first since Champ Bailey did so from 2004 to 2006.

Denver joins Dallas, Kansas City, and Atlanta as the only NFL teams to have three or more first-team All-Pro selections on its roster, and it’s the first time the Broncos have done that since 2012, when tackle Ryan Clady, quarterback Peyton Manning, and Miller were selected.

Follow digital content producer Johnny Hart on Twitter: @johnnyhart7.