The Class of 1998: Peyton Manning and Charles Woodson show mutual admiration

Trivia time: What do Peyton Manning, Charles Woodson and Matt Hasselbeck have in common?

The trio are the lone players remaining from the 1998 NFL Draft, where Manning was selected first overall by the Indianapolis Colts. Upon winning the Heisman Trophy, Woodson was selected fourth overall by the Oakland Raiders.

Manning's Denver Broncos and Woodson's Raiders square off Sunday in a clash between AFC West rivals. Denver and Oakland are headed in opposite directions and although the Raiders are the lone winless squad in the NFL, Woodson has been excellent for Oakland.

It certainly isn't lost upon Manning. 

"Charles, to be playing as well as he is as a defensive/secondary guy is pretty impressive," Manning said to reporters Wednesday. "He's making plays with his cover skills and kind of his ranging/roving skills, but I see him sticking his nose and shoulders in there and making tackles like he did when he was 23, 24 years old."

Woodson won a Super Bowl with the Green Bay Packers before returning to the Raiders in 2013 for a second stint with the club that drafted him. 

The 38-year-old Raiders free safety also expressed his admiration for Manning.

"We both have a great deal of respect for what each other has done in this game," Woodson told reporters Wednesday. "And for both of us to still be playing 17 years later says a lot about both players and what the game means to us."

"He's done some incredible things. He's still doing incredible things in this league. ... It's fun to watch him from afar."

Sunday's game will be the first of two matchups between the Broncos and Raiders. The two teams will close out their respective seasons against each other on December 28 in Denver.