Mile High Report
With their 20th overall selection in the 2025 NFL Draft, the Denver Broncos selected Texas cornerback Jahdae Barron. This was a surprise selection because many expected Barron to be off the board well before the Broncos picked, and many assumed the Broncos would go in another direction due to already having a good cornerback room. However, Sean Payton, George Paton, and the rest of the Broncos ‘ decision-makers decided that Barron was too good to pass up and added another talented player to their cornerback room.
After the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft concluded, Broncos GM George Paton met with the media and said they did not expect Barron to be there when they selected him. He added that Barron fit everything they look for in a player, praised his versatility, intelligence, and playmaking ability, and said that they were excited to have him.
“We weren’t expecting him to be there. He was pretty high up on our board. What we liked about him is [that] he’s a playmaker. He’s a football player. He’s a fun watch. I did him during the season, then after the season, Sean and I watched him last week, but we just couldn’t stop watching him. Just the instincts and participation, route awareness, zone coverage, really sticking to [his] man, doesn’t give up any completions. I don’t think he gave up a touchdown; we kept looking. Ball skills in the run game, this guy’s really good in the run game, a really good tackler, really good blitzer. He plays all over the field. This guy’s got really good football intelligence. He just kind of fits everything we’re looking for in a player. Talk about versatility, football intelligence, play-making ability. He’s just going to add to a good defense. We’re excited to have him.”
The big question surrounding this pick was, where would Barron play? The Broncos already had reigning AP Defensive Player of the Year cornerback Pat Surtain II and promising young corners Riley Moss and Ja’Quan McMillian. Corner was a strength of their team before this selection, so it created an interesting dilemma for the Broncos.
Fast forward to week one, and Barron wasn’t starting, which wasn’t a huge surprise. He had a role on defense, but it was limited, and he was behind starters Riley Moss and Ja’Quan McMillian. In total, Barron would get a total of 5 starts and play 334 defensive snaps (30%) while totaling 24 tackles, 5 pass deflections, 1 INT, and 1 fumble recovery. He was robbed of a pick-6 of Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes due to one of many poorly called flags on Riley Moss last season.
As we enter year two with the Broncos, Jahdae Barron is pretty much in the same position. He is behind starters Pat Surtain II, Riley Moss, and Ja’Quan McMillian and will need to really impress if he wants to surpass either Moss or McMillian on the depth chart. I believe the talent is there, but I am not...
