Mile High Report
It’s been a week since the 2025 NFL Draft concluded. After giving it some more thought, here is a more in-depth review of the Denver Broncos’ draft efforts.
The Denver Broncos are a better team now than they were just a week ago before their 2025 NFL Draft endeavors.
It will be several seasons of on the field play to determine how this class stacks up compared to others around the league. In our post-draft instant reaction grade segment, I have given them a C- grade for their efforts. Though I’m certainly not a fan of draft grades, that low mark might have been a bit reactionary and too harsh.
After a week of thinking it over, I thought would be apt to give a better in-depth analysis on the Broncos’ efforts in this year’s draft.
Jahdae Barron was a homerun pick in the first round
When I released by Broncos’ defensive prospect rankings, I had Texas standout Jahdae Barron as my second-ranked defensive back in this year’s class. I felt the Jim Thorpe Award winner was easily a Top 12 talent overall and was shocked that he was available when Denver was on the clock.
Addressing the secondary early wasn’t something I predicted the Broncos would do. And quite frankly, I’m not sure that would have been the case had Barron, a top 10 player on Denver’s board, been off the board. Had that been the case, the way things played out for the Broncos in the draft certainly would have been much different. Nevertheless, the Barron selection is easily my favorite by the Broncos for a few reasons.
First and foremost, it was incredible value. While I would have loved a trade down to acquire more picks—if you can get a blue-chip prospect in the latter portion of the first round—you don’t pass up that opportunity.
Additionally, Barron’s ability to play all over the Broncos’ secondary will give Defensive Coordinator Vance Joseph a lot of flexibility in how he calls coverages next season. While many across Broncos Country were hoping for a ‘joker’ on offense, the franchise’s first pick in this year’s draft is precisely that on defense. Whether it’s on the boundary, in the slot, or as an in-box safety, Barron’s positional versatility is a boon for the Broncos’ defense.
It’s just not a great selection in the short-term, it’s also a quality selection with long-term vision at play. The Broncos have a great core of talent on the defensive side of the ball, but they simply won’t be able to retain everyone. Prime defensive backs receive a lot of money on the open market.
If Riley Moss continues to grow and develop, a scenario exists where he could earn a lot of money in free agency after the 2026 season. With the Broncos already shelling out a top tier contract for Patrick Surtain II, having five years of cost control on a defensive back gives the franchise necessary salary cap flexibility in future seasons. That’s just...
