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 sure if the road to playing time is currently there.
Player Profile
Jahdae Barron | Cornerback | Denver Broncos
- Height: 5-11
- Weight: 200 pounds
- Age: 24 years old
- Experience: 2nd season
- Arm Length: 29 5/8 inches
- Hand Size: 9.5 inches
- 40-time: 4.39 seconds
- Vertical Jump: 35 inches
- 2025 stats: 24 tackles, 5 pass deflections, 1 INT, and 1 fumble recovery
Jahdae Barron’s 2026 outlook with the Denver Broncos
Will Jahdae Barron’s role stay the same as last season? Will he see more snaps? Could he surpass Riley Moss on the depth chart? Maybe play some safety?
I don’t know! That’s one of the bigger questions surrounding this 2026 Denver Broncos team. What do they do with Jahdae Barron?
What we do know is that Pat Surtain II is the unquestioned CB1, and both Riley Moss and Ja’Quan McMillian are entering the final year of their deals. It’s anticipated that the Broncos will re-sign one of them, but who is the question? Barron remains the elephant in the room because he is the likely in-house replacement for one of them, but will he force their hand and push for a starting job this season, or will he get another year of playing behind them?
Again, I don’t know.
Head coach Sean Payton was asked about the vision for Barron in year two, and well, he didn’t really say much. He once again said that Barron has inside and outside versatility and that there will be packages in throwing situations where he could get some play. He added that Barron is out there competing and doing well.
“I think there will be two things. ‘A’, he has position flex inside-out. Then there will be packages I’m sure where in throwing situations, [Defensive Coordinator] Vance [Joseph] and those guys will look at what we’re wanting to do with our people, but he’s out here competing and doing good.”
That’s an early June, first week of OTAs quote, so I am not taking much from it, but it sounds like they envision something similar to last season. Barron played in certain packages and was the guy they put on certain pass-catching tight ends. Now, if Barron impresses during training camp and the preseason, he could push for starting corner snaps, but that remains to be seen.
The Broncos’ uncertainty at cornerback is one of the bigger question marks surrounding this team. Who do they keep between Moss and McMillian? Could they trade one if Barron looks ready to start? Will the Broncos roll with all three and do something similar to last season?
I don’t have those answers, but I am interested to see how it all plays out. However, one thing is for certain: Jahdae Barron will likely play a big part in the eventual outcome.
Final Thoughts
There are so many questions and storylines surrounding Barron and the Broncos cornerback room.
Selfishly, I hope Barron has a strong summer and forces the team to make a decision. That is probably the best outcome for the Broncos. If he were to look just okay and/or disappoint, that would be an underwhelming development that could complicate the future of the cornerback position moving forward.
Personally, I think Barron will be good. I simply saw too much talent in his college film to think he will flame out in the NFL. I also didn’t think he played all that bad last season, especially for a rookie. I am hopeful of a year two jump, potentially pushing Riley Moss for a starting job, or at least snaps.
Even if he were to be the 4th corner once again, you can never have enough talented corners in the NFL. The Broncos are just one injury away from Barron playing significant snaps for them. We saw Surtain II go down with an injury last season and Moss the year prior, so having that depth is a good thing for the Broncos, especially with them being a Super Bowl contender.
At the end of the day, I hope Barron lives up to his potential this summer. Having a logjam of talented corners would be a great problem to have, and I hope that is something we are talking about in a few months.
