INDIANAPOLIS — If the Broncos needed immediate, every-down help at outside linebacker, their decision would have been made Sunday by watching Mississippi State’s Montez Sweat run the 40-yard dash at the scouting combine.

The 260-pound Sweat blew up social media by posting a time of 4.60 seconds, a defensive lineman record. Coupled with his on-field production (22 sacks in 2017 and 2018), Sweat helped himself on the Lucas Oil Stadium turf.

The Broncos are unlikely to go that direction with the 10th pick, because they have Von Miller and Bradley Chubb as book-end pass rushers.

General manager John Elway, though, was asked last week about improving the pass-rushing depth.

“You think we need another one?” he asked. “Everybody talks about one. We have two and you ask me about a third?”

Well … yeah.

“We’ll see,” Elway said. “The (free agent) market is big. There are a lot of outside ‘backers on the market as well as a lot of edge rushers in the draft. I think we’ll have an opportunity to get a third one, however that is — free agency, the draft or our own (free agent) with Shaq (Barrett).”

Using one of their Day 3 picks (rounds 4-7) on a pass rusher would be a better financial option than dipping into free agency.

Barrett has proclaimed his intent to be a starter, and that opportunity won’t be with the Broncos. His camp’s targets should be teams with enough salary cap space to splurge (Indianapolis and the New York Jets to name two).

It is hard to imagine a scenario where former first-round pick Shane Ray would re-sign with the Broncos. That leaves Jeff Holland as the current third rush linebacker, behind Miller and Chubb. An undrafted free agent from Auburn last year, Holland spent most of 2018 on the practice squad before playing in three games (six tackles in 43 defensive snaps).

There is playing time available.

Barrett played 275 snaps last year and was slowed by a hip injury. Ray played 253 snaps, was hobbled by an ankle sprain and was a healthy scratch to end the season.

Miller (14 1/2 sacks) and Chubb (12) accounted for 61.6 percent of the Broncos’ sacks last year (26 1/2 of 43). Just as the Broncos need an improved interior pass rush, they would benefit from added production from the backup outside rushers.

Long gone by Day 3 will be Ohio State’s Nick Bosa, Kentucky’s Josh Allen, Clemson’s Clelin Ferrell, Florida’s Jachai Polite, Florida State’s Brian Burns and Sweat.

Mid- to late-round candidates could be Georgia’s D’Andre Walker, Michigan’s Chase Winovich and Oklahoma State’s Jordan Brailford.

Walker (6-2/251) had 13 sacks and 24 1/2 tackles for lost yardage his final two years with Georgia, where he played for new Colorado coach Mel Tucker.

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Winovich (6-3/256) had 18 sacks and 44 1/2 tackles for lost yardage in 45 career games. Winovich arrived at Michigan as a linebacker, switched to tight end and then to defensive end. He was a third-team All-American in 2018 (five sacks).

“The first thing that pops up on (every team’s) list is they just like how hard I work and my playing style and never taking a play off,” Winovich said. “I take that as a pretty big compliment. I pair that with some of explosiveness.”

Brailford (6-3, 252) entered the draft instead of taking a sixth year of eligibility that was awarded because of a stress fracture injury. He had 15 sacks in 36 games.

“I think it took a while (to get a rhythm back in 2017), but I made a couple of plays early, got my starting spot back and just took off from there,” Brailford said. “I was ready (to turn pro). I think I had done all I could at OSU and proven what I needed to.”