INDIANAPOLIS — There is newness everywhere at the top of the Broncos’ football operations department. Yet, already there is the same repeated message.

New Broncos head coach John Fox said today during his NFL scouting combine press conference at Lucas Oil Stadium what new front-office boss John Elway said three weeks earlier during Super Bowl week: If the season started today, Kyle Orton would be the team’s quarterback.

“I don’t think we’ll really figure it out until we start competing,” Fox said. “It’s a group of three that are very capable. Right now Kyle Orton is our starter. We have a young guy, high draft pick, in Tim Tebow who got his feet wet last year towards the end of the season.

“And then shoot, Brady Quinn I’m looking forward to seeing.”

Later in the hallway outside the press room, Fox was asked if he had fully grasped the phenomenon that is Tebowmania. Does he realize there is a nation of Tebow fans who aren’t happy that the Broncos’ hierarchy is at least temporarily proclaiming the veteran Orton as the starter?

“Well, again, that’s today,” Fox said. “I’ve always believed that bringing competition to all positions is important. So, we’ll see.”

Fox also said he thought Robert Ayers — the No. 18 pick in the 2009 draft but who has just 1 1/2 sacks in his two seasons — would benefit from the Broncos’ switch from a 3-4 to 4-3 defense.

The Broncos’ evaluation of Ayers figures to at least partially determine whether they would consider taking defensive end Da’Quan Bowers, who led the NCAA with 15 1/2 sacks last season, with the No. 2 overall pick in the upcoming draft.

“I’m not going to get too much into the statistics, but I evaluated him coming out (of Tennessee), and I saw him as a 4-3 defensive end,” Fox said of Ayers. “He’s played primarily as a 3-4 outside backer. So we have him penciled in as a defensive end. I think he was a little easier to evaluate as a defensive end coming out of college because that’s what he played. I have the utmost confidence he’ll be a productive player for us this coming year.”

Mike Klis: 303-954-1055 or mklis@denverpost.com.