The Denver Broncos have signed first-round draft choice Ashley Lelie to a five-year, $7.1 million contract and the fleet wideout reported for the Thursday opening of camp.

The former University of Hawaii wide receiver, and the 19th player selected overall, Lelie is expected to add more deep speed to the Broncos passing game.

The contract has an option for a sixth year, but Lelie can then void it back to a five-year deal by reaching certain performance levels. He received a signing bonus of $3.3 million and a second-level option bonus of $1.1 million is due next spring. Almost as important, it allowed Lelie to arrive in camp on time to begin competing for the No. 3 wide receiver spot, a position that has been a weakness for the Broncos in the past several seasons.

Despite the brilliant numbers posted by starters Rod Smith and Ed McCaffrey in recent seasons, the Broncos have not had a No. 3 wideout catch more than 20 passes since 1996, and hope Lelie can perhaps halt that drought. He should compete with former Cardinals star Rob Moore, who hasn't played a game in two years, and second-year veteran Kevin Kasper for the No. 3 job.

Lelie, 22, was bothered by hamstring injuries in the spring, but the Broncos are confident he will add a vertical dimension they need.

The former Hawaii star, who played for former NFL head coach June Jones in college, has prototype size (6-feet-2½, 197 pounds) and sub-4.5 speed. He is a fluid athlete with great body control but still must work on nuances like route adjustments, working his way back to the ball and blocking downfield.

He became a starter midway through the 1999 season but really exploded in 2000 and 2001. In those two seasons, Lelie totaled 158 catches for 2,823 yards and 30 touchdown receptions. He had 19 scoring catches last season.

Len Pasquarelli is a senior writer for ESPN.com.