Bradley Chubb is an enormous football talent. Too bad the Broncos are wasting him.

On a struggling NFL team whose season is on the brink, Chubb has not been a difference-maker. He hasn’t been bad, ranking 55th among edge defenders by the video analysts at Pro Football Focus. But through five games, Chubb has not made the impact expected of the No. 5 pick in the 2018 draft.

Did Denver make a mistake in taking Chubb, a player that general manager John Elway never expected to be available when the Broncos were on the clock at the draft? They passed on quarterback prospects Josh Allen of Wyoming and Josh Rosen of Arizona, both of whom were selected in the top 10 of the first round.

Full disclosure: I would have done the same thing and happily grabbed Chubb at No. 5. So this is not meant to be criticism of Elway, whose status as a Colorado sports hero that can do no wrong has taken serious hits as an executive unable to pick a quarterback or coach with any real staying power.

I’m not disappointed in Chubb, so much as frustrated the Denver coaching staff has not been more creative in finding ways for him to shine. It’s yet another reason to doubt if Broncos defensive coordinator Joe Woods knows how to get the most from his players’ talent.

“The defense is set up for a pass rush. Why is the defense set up for a pass rush? Because we’ve got four great pass rushers. If our defense is not successful, then it’s the guys that are not making it happen,” said Broncos linebacker Von Miller, pointing the finger of blame squarely at himself for his failure to record a single quarterback sack during the past three games, all Denver losses.

My question: Might it be time for the Broncos to re-evaluate the core schemes utilized on defense? The No Fly Zone is dead. And six starters from the defense that led Denver to victory in Super Bowl 50 are gone.

Denver’s 3-4 defensive alignment has done no favors to Chubb or DeMarcus Walker, selected 51st overall in the 2017 draft. Both Walker and Chubb were productive and destructive defensive ends in college. Both have been asked to play outside linebacker for the Broncos. It’s a mismatch of prized young talent and scheme, to such an extent for Walker that he is now a second-year pro that can’t get on the field.

During the two victories to open the season, Chubb looked worthy of the fifth overall pick, pressuring the quarterback in precisely the manner the Broncos had hoped. He forced teams to pay for directing too much attention at Miller in pass-protection schemes.

But during the losing streak, Chubb has been pedestrian, at best. Against the New York Jets, he was virtually nonexistent, harassing quarterback Sam Darnold only once, while making just two tackles against a team ran 38 times for 323 yards.

To maximize the potential of Chubb and Walker, might it be wise for the Broncos to introducing use a 4-3 defensive front on occasion? I’m not suggesting junking the current defensive system, which would be impractical in the middle of October. But Denver played four defensive linemen at the same time for only one of 138 snaps against Kansas City and the Jets. What could a little experimentation hurt? Maybe Woods should clip and save this column along with the money-saving coupons in The Denver Post.

“I don’t watch TV and I don’t read the paper,” Woods said.

And I don’t pretend to know as much about football as coaches who have dedicated their lives to the game. But I do know this: The No. 1 job of a coach is to put his players in the best position to succeed. That quite plainly has not been done with Chubb or Walker.

The Los Angeles Rams are undefeated and explosive. Quarterback Jared Groff and running back Todd Gurley present huge challenges for the Broncos to stop. If Denver is going to make a stand before the season slips away, it better be now. “I feel like it’s a real big … We’re 2-3 and we want to win games,” Chubb said. “I fell like this is going to be a huge step, with a team coming in here that’s 5-0 and us closing the deal.”

Just once, before Woods gets fired, maybe he should try putting Walker and Chubb in the game at the same time. Let these two natural defensive ends put a hand in the ground as bookends on a four-man defensive line, with Miller lined up over the outside hip of Chubb, daring Goff to get rid of the football before he gets creamed.

Wouldn’t that be some fun?