Mel Kiper Jr. breaks down the top 10 selections in his first mock draft for the 2016 NFL draft, with Joey Bosa and Jared Goff as the first two picks. (2:59)

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- After the Denver Broncos are done with their postseason -- whenever that may be -- the team will face major transition.

The guts of the roster is still homegrown and fairly young, but the Broncos do have a pile of impending free agents on defense, including Von Miller, Malik Jackson, Danny Trevathan and Derek Wolfe. That's not to mention the questions about quarterback Peyton Manning's future and Brock Osweiler's impending free agency.

With all of that in mind, ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. has the Broncos looking offense in the first round in his first mock draft for 2016. Kiper likes the fit of Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliott in the Broncos' scheme.

Elliott rushed for 1,878 yards as a sophomore and 1,821 yards this past season as a junior. He had 12 100-yard games in 13 outings in 2015 at 6.3 yards per carry to go with 41 rushing touchdowns in the last two years combined.

The Broncos rarely pick running backs in the first round, but Ohio State's Ezekiel Elliott would be a good fit for Gary Kubiak's system. Greg Bartram/USA TODAY Sports

It would be a bit of a departure for the Broncos -- with Gary Kubiak as coach -- to dive into the first round for a running back, but Elliott's athleticism will have him on plenty of draft boards with a first-round grade. In his time on Mike Shanahan's staff in Denver -- Kubiak was the offensive coordinator from 1995-2005 -- the Broncos did not select a running back with a first-round pick though they were routinely among the league leaders in rushing.

Clinton Portis, selected in the second round of the 2002 draft, was the highest pick used on a running back during Shanahan's tenure. Since 1985, when the Broncos selected Steve Sewell in the first round, Bobby Humphrey (1989 supplemental draft) and Knowshon Moreno (12th overall in 2009) are the only running backs the team has selected in a first round.

Among the Broncos' current running backs, Ronnie Hillman is set to be an unrestricted free agent and C.J. Anderson will be a restricted free agent.