Noah Fant declared for the NFL Draft on Nov. 30, 2018.

“It feels like five years ago, how long our year was,” he laughed during a phone interview Thursday from Los Angeles.

It was a long year for Fant, who went from the pre-draft process straight into the Broncos’ rookie camp once he was selected 20th overall. He played 704 snaps and led all NFL rookie tight ends with 562 yards receiving (40 catches and three touchdowns).

“A lot of improvement throughout the year, but I also feel like I could have done a lot better,” Fant said. “I’m looking to build off that and have an even better year (in 2020) and keep stacking bricks on top of each other and doing that season after season.”

Fant had a large role in offensive coordinator Rich Scangarello’s system, but will have to start over now with new play-caller Pat Shurmur.

“Nobody really expected (the Broncos) to fire Coach Scangarello, but that’s happened and it’s the business part of things,” Fant said. “I’ve heard Coach Shurmur is a great coach and he’s definitely an experienced OC. He’s had quite a few tight ends go through his offense that have done really well, so I’m excited to work with him.”

Shurmur worked with tight end Evan Engram the last two years with the New York Giants and coached Chad Lewis during his time in Philadelphia. When Fant meets with Shurmur, he’ll have a lot of questions.

“I’m excited for that, to sit down and talk about how he sees me being used and how he plans to use all of us on offense,” Fant said while participating in the Panini Rookie Closeout, which included signing his rookie cards and talking to players in the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl about the transition to pro football.

The 2019 regular season has been completed for three weeks and Fant is already gearing up for 2020. He will spend the next two months in Irvine, Calif., training with Ryan Capretta at Proactive Sports. They also worked together before the NFL Combine a year ago.

“I think that will help a lot,” Fant said. “Other than at Iowa, I improved the most strength- and conditioning-wise when I was training with him. I’m excited to get a whole two months there.”

Fant’s offseason focus is multi-layered.

“Gaining overall body mass and getting stronger to help me in the blocking game and just refining and cleaning up my routes,” he said. “It will be hard to specify which routes to (work on) because we have a different OC, but I can work on footwork, agility, change of direction. Those things are high on my list.”

Around the league

Kuechly’s retirement. Carolina linebacker Luke Kuechly did not miss a game in his first three NFL seasons, but in the 2015 opener at Jacksonville, I was there when he had a head-on collision with running back T.J. Yeldon. Staggered, Kuechly fell to the turf and was led straight to the locker room with a concussion that forced him to miss three games.

That play came back to me this past week when Kuechly, 28, retired after eight seasons, 1,092 tackles and five All-Pro nods. I asked a former Hall of Fame voter about Kuechly’s candidacy. The verdict: Definitely a Hall of Famer, but probably not on the first ballot; San Francisco’s Patrick Willis, who retired at 30 after the 2014 season, didn’t make the cut to 15 finalists this year.

Coordinator turnover. The Broncos are currently one of eight teams who will have new play-callers in 2020. Drew Lock (Broncos), Daniel Jones (Giants), Dwayne Haskins (Washington) and Gardner Minshew (Jacksonville) will all have to learn new offenses. Cleveland’s Baker Mayfield will be on his third system in as many years. Who needs continuity?

Conference game predictions. In the AFC, Kansas City over Tennessee 27-21. The Chiefs will jump out to an early lead (unlike last week against Houston), which will force the Titans to lean more on Ryan Tannehill’s throwing and less on Derrick Henry’s running. In the NFC, San Francisco over Green Bay 30-24. The 49ers’ defense will force three turnovers that are turned into 17 points.

Briefly. Interesting development in Dallas, where new coach Mike McCarthy — who called the plays for nearly all of his time in Green Bay — will hand the duties to Kellen Moore, retaining him as offensive coordinator. … Chargers tight end Antonio Gates, who did not play in 2019, announced his retirement following franchise records in catches (955), yards (11,841) and touchdowns (116). He had 105 catches (12 touchdowns) in 29 regular-season games against the Broncos. … I chuckle every time I see the NFL promoting the Pro Bowl as “Access to Awesome.” It’s not awesome. Period.

Around the draft

Gladney not in Mobile. Late in the week, TCU cornerback Jeff Gladney’s name was removed from the Senior Bowl’s website roster, too bad because the Broncos should be in the corner market in rounds 1-2. Gladney (listed at 5-foot-10, 184 pounds) had five interceptions in 50 career games. That leaves LSU’s Kristian Fulton (6-0, 194) as the top cornerback heading to Mobile. He had 38 tackles and 14 pass break-ups (one interception) this past season.

Drafts starts at No. 3? LSU quarterback Joe Burrow to Cincinnati and Ohio State defensive lineman Chase Young to Washington with the first two picks makes sense. So does the draft — and trading — really start at No. 3? That potentially puts Detroit and the New York Giants at Nos. 3-4 in good position because of their quarterback situation (set). They could trade down with a quarterback-needy team and pick up extra picks in the process. And the Lions and Giants need extra picks.

Receivers fleeing college. The Broncos need a receiver and the influx of early entrees at that position could allow them to wait until the second round. Having already declared are Alabama’s Henry Ruggs and Jerry Jeudy, Colorado’s Laviska Shenault, Clemson’s Tee Higgins, LSU’s Justin Jefferson, Miami’s Jeff Thomas, Michigan’s Donovan Peoples-Jones, Michigan State’s Cody White, Oklahoma’s CeeDee Lamb, Oregon State’s Isaiah Hodgins and TCU’s Jalen Reagor, Wisconsin’s Quintez Cephus and Central Florida’s Gabriel Davis.