The Denver Broncos cornerback room has the potential to be elite this upcoming season.
The Denver Broncos' cornerback unit was among the best in the entire NFL last season. Pat Surtain II is your reigning AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year. Riley Moss and Ja’Quan McMillian made plays throughout the year, and rookie Kris Abrams-Draine showed some promise late in the year. When heading into the offseason, there were not many who expected the Broncos to make a major addition to their cornerback room.
Well, they did.
With their 20th overall selection in the 2025 NFL Draft, the Denver Broncos selected Texas cornerback Jahdae Barron. He was viewed as a potential top-10 selection and ended up being the first pure cornerback off the board in the draft. He was the heart and soul of the Texas Longhorns defense, and now will be a key member of the Broncos' secondary.
The addition of Barron deepens an already talented Broncos cornerback room that includes Surtain, Moss, McMillian, Abrams-Draine, and others. If all goes well, this unit has the chance to be the best cornerback unit in the entire NFL and give the already talented Broncos defense an elite secondary to work with.
With all that said, let’s take a look at the Broncos’ cornerbacks and their roles, expectations, and chances of making the team as we approach the start of training camp.
PS2 is your reigning AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year winner, the best cornerback in the league, and arguably, one of the best defensive and overall players in the league. The Broncos signed him to a long-term extension last season, and he will be locking down the league's top receivers in the Mile High City for the foreseeable future.
As for this year, he will be looking to win back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year awards while being the face of the Denver Broncos defense. If the Broncos and their defense live up to the lofty expectations placed on them, he has a real shot at doing so.
As I mentioned, Barron was the Broncos’ first-round selection during April’s NFL Draft and gives this unit and potential stud to pair with PS2. Head Coach Sean Payton has mentioned that Barron has inside and outside versatility and simply is not just a slot corner. He was used all over the Texas secondary and was their version of a ‘Joker’, but on the defensive side of the ball. So, it will be interesting to see how Payton and the Broncos plan on using him moving forward.
By all accounts, Barron has quickly impressed the coaches and teammates during the offseason workouts and likely will be a standout performer during training camp. If that’s the case, he could leapfrog Riley Moss as the Broncos' CB2. Either way, Barron is going to be a key member of this secondary and hopefully gives the...