The stage is set for John Elway's final act

A bright spotlight illuminates a perfect circle on orange velvet curtains as a crowd of millions waits with bated breath.

Behind the curtains stands a hero, a legend, a god in some circles.

For 37 years, with a short intermission in the middle, this crowd has observed his every move. They watched the first act get off to a slow start before a triumphant finish. They watched the second act start off with a bang before an abrupt and unexpected second “intermission.”

Now, they await the final act.

As the curtains begin the peel, the white number 7 on his chest starts to shine.

John Elway has done it many ways. He’s personally dragged unworthy rosters to many-a-Super Bowl. He’s twice guided the flight of a juggernaut to a trophy-hoisting ceremony. He’s puppeteered the construction of greatest offense of all time. He laid the bricks on an all-time-great defense.

And now the stage for his final act has been set. John Elway is trying to build another juggernaut, and his blueprint is clear to see.

A star-studded, loaded-up defense, led by a former Super Bowl MVP and a genius play-caller, accompanied his latest creation—a young, cost-controlled offense propelled by a promising young quarterback and a plethora of exciting young playmakers.

All that’s left to see is whether or not he pulls it off.

Courtland Sutton.

Phillip Lindsay.

Noah Fant.

Melvin Gordon.

And on Thursday night, the final piece of the playmaking puzzle arrived.

Jerry F. Jeudy.

Jeudy, who the Broncos miraculously nabbed with the 15th pick in the draft, is not your average rookie receiver. We’re talking about a guy who is so precise, smooth and explosive in his route running that NFL stars have reached out to him looking for tips. A guy who Mohamed Sanu already said is going to be one of the best to ever do it.

When Jeudy runs routes, it looks different from what you are used to seeing. They’re just that good. It’s one of the first signs of a superstar. It doesn’t have to be defined by anything else other than the fact it just looks different. You know it when you see it.

The Broncos now have two No. 1 receivers, the NFL’s leading rookie tight end in 2019, two pro-bowl running backs and a rocket-armed quarterback full of charisma that has started his career at 4-1. Oh, and all of them except one are 25-years-old or younger.

Elway’s latest creation is ready to be released into the wild. And they are primed to dazzle.

It’s clear to see that Ol’ No. 7 doesn’t want his young QB to have to wait as long as he did to get a supporting cast, and as shown by Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson and even Russell Wilson before them, in today’s NFL, there’s no need to wait. And there’s no time to wait.

A few more tweaks must still be made to the supporting cast, but the stars of the show are in place.

As the stage crew furiously tugs the cords that pry open the velvet curtains, the spotlight expands from one to all. The forged-iron defense and the young, spry offense all illuminated as one.

The hero places his left hand on his waist, turns his right palm upwards, and swings his arm from left to right, extravagantly unveiling the group. The crowd goes wild.

Welcome to the final act.