Thirty-six million dollars isn't changing Case Keenum.

The new Denver Broncos starting quarterback and marquee free-agent signing will still approach his craft as if he were the well-traveled journeyman, humble to prove his worth. Part of that job description entails mentoring younger players and leading by example as best he can.

If it means tutoring a high-profile rookie QB -- his eventual successor -- so be it.

"I’m excited for whoever comes in to make us better," Keenum told reporters Tuesday in only his second press conference with the team. "That’s what great competition breeds within your own team. Whoever comes in, I’ll be looking for them to help us."

Keenum, like fans, media and perhaps even the front-office brass, doesn't yet know who's coming in next week's NFL draft. The Broncos have privately interviewed and individually scouted the top four QBs in this year's class: USC's Sam Darnold, UCLA's Josh Rosen, Wyoming's Josh Allen and Oklahoma's Baker Mayfield, who departed Tuesday afternoon following a two-day stay in Denver, which included dinner and a tour of the Dove Valley headquarters.

There's a very real chance one of them ends up as the team's Day 1 pick, creating an interesting quagmire. What if the rookie outshines the 30-year-old, who's fresh off a career season? What if the kid becomes The Guy, eager to take the torch?

What if? What if? Keenum isn't sweating it.

"I'm going to stay hungry," he said. "I'm going to stay consistent to the mindset that's gotten me here."

The Broncos aren't paying Keenum $18 million in 2018 for him to ride the bench. In all likelihood, the presumptive first-year signal-caller would develop from afar instead of being thrown into the fire. There's a reason why Keenum was targeted at the onset of free agency; the Broncos love his smarts, accuracy and willingness to push the ball down the field.

Judging by their cues, he's firmly entrenched atop the depth chart.

“When you watch Case play quarterback, the first thing you see is big plays," head coach Vance Joseph said at last month's league meetings. "He’s always been that way since college. I watched him play in college two years and obviously I was on the staff with him in Houston. He’s going to make big plays for you. He’s got a gunslinger’s mentality. He is not afraid to push the ball downfield, but with that being said, as I watched him this year, he was also different in that he was patient also. When he was a young guy, it was crazy watching him play. But watching him play currently, he’s still aggressive, but he’s also smart with the football. He didn’t turn the ball over."

Keenum is doing what he should be doing at this point: deep-diving into the playbook and ingratiating himself to teammates, with whom he intends to bond away from the field.

"I want to make a good first impression and build on it," he said.

Thus far, the Broncos got what they paid for.