The Denver Broncos took some big hits in their loss to the San Francisco 49ers this past Sunday. In addition to their second loss of the season, the Broncos suffered greatly in the injury department, as Pat Surtain II (ankle), Riley Moss (ribs) and Pat Bryant (ankle) all left with injuries and did not return.
Though it didn't look great to see Surtain limp off the field with help and Bryant needing to leave on a cart, it seems all three players avoided season-ending injuries. However, they could miss at least a couple of games, and it seems unlikely that any of them will take the field in Week 5 (certainly not Surtain or Bryant).
The Broncos will need to turn to some reinforcements in that case, and that brings to the forefront a name that Broncos fans
have been waiting to hear much more of: Jahdae Barron.
Broncos have great option to turn to in Jahdae Barron
The Broncos used their first-round pick (No. 20 overall) in the 2025 NFL draft to select Barron out of Texas. Barron won the Jim Thorpe Award as the nation's best defensive back in 2024, but cornerback was not a big position of need, and the selection of Barron has been a head-scratcher ever since, mostly because he hardly ever sees the field.
But that is going to change with Surtain out. Barron played well in relief of Surtain against San Francisco and that caught the eye of his head coach, who spoke on his play the following day.
“Relative to their play yesterday, I thought they came in and did a real good job,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said when asked about Barron and Abrams-Draine during his Monday conference call with reporters. “It was good to see. I think it’s a position we have depth at, and those guys both kind of got thrown into the fire, and I thought they handled it well.”
With Moss also possibly out of the lineup, 2024 fifth-round pick Kris Abrams-Draine could also be thrust into action. But the spotlight will be on Barron, whom teams around the league will see as untested, and they'll be ready to attack. He has shown himself to be a capable player when given the opportunity, and the hope will be that he's up to the task.
.@Officia1dae to the 🏡!
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) August 15, 2026
📺: 9NEWS pic.twitter.com/2r6HDk2HDZ
In Week 5, Barron will go up against the likes of Quentin Johnston and Ladd McConkey (who could be questionable due to a foot injury) as the Broncos head to SoFi Stadium to face the Los Angeles Chargers. This could be the perfect game for Barron to send the message that he needs to be a bigger part of the Broncos' defense.
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This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: Broncos’ 2025 first-round draft pick finally has opportunity to shine
