George Paton was the Broncos’ man from day one.

Paton, who’s spent the last 14 seasons in Minnesota’s front office, was named Denver’s GM six days ago, after the Broncos interviewed five candidates for the position. And on Tuesday, during his introductory press conference, Broncos President and CEO Joe Ellis made it clear Paton was Denver’s man from the start.

“Let me just say this, from the beginning of our interview process, George Paton stood out to us,” Ellis said. “He is a seasoned, smart, steady person and executive, who is going to go on to be a great asset for the Broncos for many years to come. He’s going into his 25th year in the league, his depth of experience and knowledge is very impressive — from drafting and developing talent to working with the support staff. We’re very lucky to have a man of his caliber and very excited about his addition to the Broncos.”

And Paton, who has turned down several GM jobs over the years, had no hesitation when Ellis and President of Football Operations John Elway called him.

“The more I dug in, the more I learned, the more I really wanted I wanted this job bad,” Paton said. “This was a job I really wanted.”

For those who tuned into Paton’s press conference, it was easy to see he isn’t a man of many words, opening with a 850-word, pre-written statement before fielding 27 questions. His 850-word statement was more than double the length of any answer he gave during his 28-minute press conference.

But while Paton didn’t say a whole lot while covering a variety of topics — from linebacker Von Miller’s future to quarterback Drew Lock’s potential — he did make his plan clear, emphasizing two words: draft and develop. Paton said simply, “the more draft picks you have, the more flexibility you have.”

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“My philosophy and vision, it starts with the process driven in our scouting department,” Paton said in his opening statement. “There’ll be no shortcuts. We’re going to embrace the day to day, we’re going to embrace the grind, and we’re going to do it together. Drafting and developing players will be our foundation. It’s going to be the lifeblood of this football team. We’re going to be aggressive, but we’re not going to be reckless in player acquisition. We’re going to leave no stone unturned.”

Paton was hesitant to share his ideas, saying several times that he’s taking the job week-by-week and day-by-day by not making any crucial decisions until he meets with his entire staff. Therefore, he didn’t offer much insight into Miller and Lock.

Paton said of Miller, who is under criminal investigation while entering the final year of his contract: “All those tough decisions start when I can meet with the coaches and the scouting staff. That’s when you get your plan for the offseason.”

Paton said of Lock, whose future in Denver seems to be in question as rumors about Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson swirl and the draft approaches: “I liked Drew coming out of the draft. A big arm, athletic, a play-maker. I haven’t studied him. I haven’t gotten into a lot of tape. I’ve only been here four days. I’ve watched enough tape to know that he’s talented. He can develop.”

Paton, however, did express confidence in the future of the team, backing up his quote from the day he was hired when he said he felt the Broncos’ were a “sleeping giant.”

“I just think they have drafted well the last couple years. They have some good young players to build around,” Paton said. “Now, how long it takes, I don’t know. We have to do our part, but I do think there’s some pieces in place. They have a healthy salary cap position. … Typically, in this league you don’t have a lot of time to turn things around. You don’t have the six years, it has to be quicker. …

“I’m not going to give you a timetable, but they do have some young pieces in place, a healthy cap, so there are a lot of reasons to be optimistic.”

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While Paton didn’t give many definitive answers on specific questions regarding the team or when success can be expected, he, Ellis, Elway and coach Vic Fangio did emphasize that Paton will have final say on every decision, including Fangio’s future in Denver as he enters his third and final year of his contract.

“That’s just life in the NFL. He might have to (make a decision about my future), but I’m not worried about that in any shape or form,” Fangio said. “It’s best for him to form his own opinion without the influence of me or the other coaches.”

But the bigger question isn’t whether Fangio will meddle with Paton’s vision, but instead, will Elway?

“Ultimately, it’s going to be George’s decision,” Elway said. “I’m going to be there to support him, to give my opinions and give him everything I would look at when I was the GM, and give him everything that would be in my mind in that situation to help him again make that decision and the best decision he possibly can. Once he hears everything, he will still be the one making that decision because that’s his role and that’s his responsibility. ”

Paton was quick to acknowledge he has big shoes to fill, replacing arguably the most influential figure in the franchise’s history . It’s a challenge he’s willing to accept, saying “I’m not going to worry about that. I’m just going to try to work with everyone here to do our best, but John’s going to have to get in my ear and tell me how he did that.”

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He added he’s excited to work alongside Elway and that all decisions regarding the team will be made in unison.

“This is going to be a collective, positive and diverse work environment with free-flowing ideas,” Paton said. “We’re aligned. We all believe that to draft and develop talent that you bring high-character players into your organization, you develop them and hopefully get them second contracts, and that’s how you build your best culture. Now when you go outside, will you be aggressive and dip into free agency or the trade market? Yeah, every now and then, but it takes that right type of player to do that. I think we all believe in drafting and developing and making them into your own.

“It won’t be my decision, it won’t be Vic’s or John’s — it will be a Denver Broncos decision.”

With exactly 100 days until the draft, Paton’s “draft and develop” plan will start almost immediately.

In the coming weeks, he’ll interview each member of the Broncos’ front office and coaching staff and likely hire a “right hand man.” He’ll also have contract negotiations with players like safety Justin Simmons and defensive tackle Shelby Harris, as well discuss Miller and Lock. And he’ll start evaluating players for the draft — which he says will be “very challenging” with no combine this March — as the Broncos have their first top-10 pick since 2018.

In the coming years, Paton hopes to restore the Broncos to their former glory and accomplish something he’s never done in his 25 years in the NFL:

“I would like to win a Super Bowl here.”