Breaking down the Denver Broncos' 2018 draft class.

Round 1, No. 5 overall: Bradley Chubb, DE, NC State

My take: The Broncos were rewarded for their patience as they resisted the urge to move up and stayed put at No. 5. When the Cleveland Browns selected Ohio State cornerback Denzel Ward at No. 4, the Broncos were able to swoop in to snare Chubb -- the most technically sound, impactful pass-rusher on the board. Chubb finished his career with the Wolfpack with 60 tackles for loss (48 of those in the past two seasons combined) to go with 10.5 sacks in 2016 and 10 sacks this past season.

Cool with that: The player who might benefit the most from Chubb’s arrival is Von Miller. The linebacker had one of his best all-around seasons in 2017, but he struggled at times in the pass rush against wave after wave of double-teams because the Broncos were unable to generate consistent pressure from other parts of the formation. Miller said last week he’d "be cool" if the Broncos selected Chubb. Now the Broncos, with Shane Ray healthy after multiple wrist surgeries in 2017, have multiple players to stress opposing offensive lines.

No. 9: It was an odd look for a guy who is 6-foot-4 1/4 and 272 pounds, but over the past two seasons Chubb sported No. 9 for NC State. It was a nod to former NC State defensive end Mario Williams, who wore No. 9 before he was the No. 1 pick in the 2006 draft. So, Chubb was easy to find on game video, as he was consistently powering past those with jersey numbers in the 50s, 60s and 70s. Chubb had five games with at least three tackles for loss last season, including five tackles for loss against Boston College.

Round 2, No. 40: Courtland Sutton, WR, SMU

My take: With the departure of Cody Latimer and Bennie Fowler in free agency, the Broncos are thin on the depth chart at wide receiver. And in Sutton, they get a big-bodied target -- 6-foot-3 3/8-inches, 218 pounds -- who also ran a 4.54 40-yard dash at the scouting combine. Sutton routinely makes catches with defenders hanging all over him and his game video shows a large selection of one-handed grabs. Sutton had three seasons with at least 862 yards receiving and closed out his career with back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons.

How he fits: With Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders as the team's top two receivers, the Broncos have been on the hunt for a third target to take some of the double coverage away from those two. Over and over again last season defenses were happy to turn their coverages to Thomas and Sanders without much worry that anyone else could make those defenses pay. The Broncos believe tight end Jake Butt, who missed his rookie season on injured reserve, will help, but Sutton will compete for the No. 3 receiver right from the start.

Round 3, No. 71: Royce Freeman, RB, Oregon

My take: When the Broncos couldn’t find a trade partner to move running back C.J. Anderson in recent weeks, they chose to release their leading rusher from 2017 -- and in doing so left a significant hole on the depth chart. That meant they entered this draft with just two running backs: Devontae Booker and De'Angelo Henderson. The 229-pound Freeman is just the kind of big-bodied back the Broncos like, and he was certainly active in his career with the Ducks, with 947 carries to go with 79 receptions. Freeman is a potential three-down back given that he has shown pass-protection skills and some polished work as a receiver to go with a 5.9 yards-per-carry average.

How he fits: Broncos coach Vance Joseph has said he considers the run game the core of the offense, even with Denver signing quarterback Case Keenum in free agency. Freeman has far more carries than most of his peers in this draft, but he has been durable -- 51 games played in his college career -- and is a seasoned player who should contribute from the start. Freeman could compete for both early-down carries and longer down-and-distance situations because of his ability as a receiver.

Round 3, No. 99: Isaac Yiadom, CB, Boston College

My take: Call it the power of the Senior Bowl, as Yiadom is a player the Broncos coaches got to see for a week's worth of practice in Mobile, Alabama. And what they saw was a big-framed cornerback who is well versed in press coverage, something many of his peers in the draft cannot say. Yiadom broke up 17 passes combined over the last two seasons at Boston College despite opposing quarterbacks trying to avoid him as much as possible. He's a physical player with enough speed to have a chance to compete for the fourth cornerback spot.

How he fits: After the Broncos traded Aqib Talib to the Los Angeles Rams and then signed Tramaine Brock in free agency, their projected top three cornerbacks are Chris Harris Jr., Bradley Roby and Brock. But when they move into their specialty packages, especially when they use six defensive backs, they're going to give Yiadom a chance to compete with Brendan Langley -- a 2017 draft pick -- for some of that work. Yiadom should also be a core special teams player right from the start, which is the fastest route to playing time for any rookie.

Round 4, No. 106: Josey Jewell, LB, Iowa

My take: The Broncos continued their draft theme for 2018 by selecting another player who has a full résumé in the college game. Jewell didn’t test as well as some of the other linebackers in the draft -- he had a 4.82-second 40-yard dash at the scouting combine -- but he had three consecutive seasons with at least 120 tackles and was a three-time team captain for the Hawkeyes. Over and over again, his game video shows a player who makes plays at the point of attack and is proficient in coverage.

How he fits: The Broncos will quickly find a place for him in their defense. They lost a key reserve at linebacker -- Corey Nelson -- in free agency, so they need depth right now. And Jewell should be an impact player on special teams from the onset. Jewell figures to work at inside linebacker in the team’s 3-4 and it likely won’t take long for him to get acclimated.

Round 4, No. 113, DaeSean Hamilton, WR, Penn State

My take: This is another player the Broncos got an up-close look at during their coaching staff’s week at the Senior Bowl. Like Courtland Sutton, the Broncos’ second-round pick, Hamilton should push for playing time quickly. He is a proficient route runner who understands where he needs to be against various coverage looks. He was a four-year starter for the Nittany Lions.

How he fits: Broncos president of football operations/general manager John Elway said following the team’s 5-11 finish that several of the team’s veteran players needed to “play better’’ and wide receivers Emmanuel Sanders and Demaryius Thomas were among them. Hamilton is the second receiver in this Broncos draft class and his route-running ability will put him in the mix quickly. Hamilton can work both out of the slot and on the outside.

Round 5, No. 156, Troy Fumagalli, TE, Wisconsin

My take: The Broncos have added another former team captain to their draft class with a productive résumé in the college game. Fumagalli had 93 catches combined over the past two seasons -- 47 in 2016 and 47 in 2017. He did not run at the scouting combine because of a hip injury, but he’s a willing blocker and he is a quality route runner who finds holes against zone coverage.

How he fits: The Broncos do expect Jake Butt, a fifth-round pick in last year’s draft, to have a prominent role in the offense. But with Virgil Green’s departure in free agency, they do need others to step forward. So, Fumagalli, who has improved his work as a blocker over the past two seasons to go with his reliability as a receiver, will have an opportunity to earn playing time quickly.

Round 6, No. 183: Sam Jones, G/C, Arizona State

My take: Jones played both guard and tackle for the Sun Devils and likely could have added strength had he stayed another year in college. But he declared for the NFL after the school fired coach Todd Graham. Jones played both tackle spots and left guard in the same season in 2015 and battled a foot injury in 2016. He’s a Denver-area native and some in the league think he may be a center as a pro.

How he fits: The Broncos, even with the trade for tackle Jared Veldheer, exited free agency a little thin in the offensive line. And Michigan’s Mason Cole, who likely would have been the Broncos’ pick at the end of the third round Friday night, was selected two picks before the Broncos grabbed cornerback Isaac Yiadom. Jones could compete for a backup spot on the interior, but could also be just the kind of player the Broncos move to the practice squad to add strength.

Round 6, No. 217, Keishawn Bierria, LB, Washington

My take: Bierria also fits the profile of this Broncos’ draft class as a three-year starter in a front-line program. He plays with quality instincts and understands what offenses are trying to do. At just over six feet tall (6-foot-0 3/8) and 230 pounds, he ran a 4.79 40-yard dash and doesn’t have the athleticism of some of the other players at the position on this draft board. But he played in 54 games and had three seasons with at least 60 tackles.

How he fits: The Broncos have been on the hunt throughout the offseason for players who can contribute to help upgrade special teams and Bierria also can compete for a depth spot at inside linebacker. Numerous scouts have lauded his leadership as well as his ability to diagnose plays and react to make the play. He will have to show he can still do that with the increased challenge of NFL skill players.

Round 7, No. 226 overall: David Williams, RB, Arkansas

My take: Williams was a graduate transfer -- from South Carolina to Arkansas -- for his senior season and led the Razorbacks with 656 yards rushing to go with 10 total touchdowns. He's another big back at 6-0 1/8 and 224 pounds, and he ran a 4.50 40-yard dash at his pro day. He played 42 games between the two schools with six starts and showed big-play pop this past season with 18 carries of at least 10 yards.

How he fits: There is room on the Broncos' depth chart given they entered the draft with just two running backs on the roster -- Devontae Booker and De'Angelo Henderson. They selected Oregon's Royce Freeman on Friday to go with Williams. Overall, it gives them three running backs -- Booker, Freeman and Williams -- who weigh at least 219 pounds. Williams will have work to do to earn carries, but coach Vance Joseph has said he wants a more punishing run game.