ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- The Denver Broncos weren't even 48 hours into their offseason before John Elway quickly and efficiently outlined the team's top priority to dig out from a 5-11 finish.

The Broncos want, and need, a solution at quarterback and have to decide if the draft, free agency, or both, will provide that solution.

"I think there is no doubt we have to get better at that position," Elway said. "For us to have a chance to get better, we have to get better at that position."

It just so happens the Broncos now have the No. 5 pick in the 2018 draft, a year that also happens to feature a collection of quarterbacks the league's evaluators haven't seen in some time.

This is the fifth of a one-a-day look at how the top quarterbacks could fit with the Broncos.

Today: Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson.

Wednesday: Best of the rest.

In a nutshell: Jackson does not carry a first-round grade as the wind-up to the draft begins, and many in the league believe he doesn't have the pro potential of some of the other quarterbacks in the class. And while potential will always outweigh production in the draft world, Jackson's production is of the outlier variety and certainly deserves a look from the Broncos and everyone else in the league. He finished his three seasons at Louisville with 69 passing touchdowns, 50 rushing touchdowns, two 3,500-yard passing seasons, two 1,500-yard rushing seasons and one Heisman Trophy.

Why he fits: For all of the highlights he has created running with the ball, he can throw it with velocity from a quick release. He hasn't played much under center, but has done it enough for people to see he has a foundation to do it more. When a shaky offensive line did give him time, he showed ability to get to his second and third reads from the pocket. He would require some flexibility from the Broncos with the playbook, but coach Vance Joseph has already said publicly the Broncos needed to do a "better job" adapting the offense to their quarterback than they did for much of the 2017 season.

The work to be done: Start with the strength coach, given Jackson was listed at 211 pounds at 6-foot-3 -- his actual height and weight won't be official for teams until the scouting combine -- and his potential durability will be a concern given how much of his game is running with the ball. He has shown good footwork in the pocket, but some of his accuracy issues (he never completed 60 percent of his passes in a season) can be traced to how he sets his feet when he throws when that footwork gets away from him a bit.

The plan for him would be: Patience with a veteran quarterback in place as well. Jackson projects to be a second-day pick in the draft and he has plenty of work to do to compete for playing time. But the leadership, the athleticism and the explosiveness he shows with the ball in his hands are starting points most other players in the draft do not have.

Will it happen?: In his tenure as the Broncos' chief football decision-maker, Elway has not selected a run-pass quarterback with Jackson's skill set -- he didn't select Tim Tebow, who was already on the roster when Elway was hired in his current job in 2011 -- so it would take a concerted change in what the Broncos want at the position. But Jackson's production, athleticism and his big-moment composure are certainly worth a long look and a long discussion.