Jahdae Barron’s versatility and ball skills lauded by Broncos’ brass

The Denver Broncos didn’t expect for Texas Longhorns standout Jahdae Barron to be available at their pick. But he was and Head Coach Sean Payton and General Manager George Paton took the best player available on their draft board.

Most mock drafts had the Denver Broncos taking a running back, tight end, or a wide receiver with their first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

After all, that was the dream ticket for a lot of Broncos Country—including myself—who thought surrounding Bo Nix with more offensive firepower would be the primary endeavor for the franchise heading into yesterday’s Day 1 extravaganza.

Instead, Head Coach Sean Payton and George Paton surprised by selecting Texas standout defensive back Jahdae Barron at 20 overall. A versatile defensive player that saw time at boundary corner, the slot, and even as a box safety; most draft analysts had Barron ranked as a Top 15 player in this year’s class. In fact, very few had him falling to where the Broncos were slated to select.

But the Broncos were extremely high on the Longhorns standout who was their top-ranked player on their board and one of their blue-chip players. They too were surprised was available when they were officially on the clock. That made it an easy decision for the Broncos’ brass, who added one of the draft’s best defensive prospects to bolster a secondary that already has an impressive core of talent.

“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,” stated Paton. “Just the instincts and participation, route awareness, zone coverage, really sticking to his man, doesn’t give up any completions.”

“The more and more we watched, it was like, let’s be quiet,” Payton espoused in regard to their pursuit of Barron.

During his conference call with the media, Barron mentioned the Broncos held a Zoom meeting with him, but nothing extraordinarily formal elsewhere during the pre-draft process. Though formality in this instance wasn’t necessary. In their post-draft presser, the Broncos’ brass noted they were able to get intel from Defensive Coordinator Vance Joseph’s cousin Terry Joseph, who coached him at Texas, and raved about his character, football intelligence, and for being a tremendous teammate.

So, what are the Broncos getting with Barron? One Hell of a football player. In his final season with the Longhorns, he put together an All-American campaign and earned the Jim Thorpe Award—given to college football’s best defensive back. He posted 67 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, a sack and also reeled in 5 interceptions.

Additionally, he ranked at the top of a lot of metrics including giving up zero touchdowns, only 11 first downs, and the lowest passer rating and yards per reception of any Power 4 conference defensive back available in 2024. A ballhawk by nature, Barron will have the opportunity to play multiple positions for the franchise bolstering his value to the team even more.

“I think one of the things that was really apparent when we studied him and one of the things that was attractive about the player is his versatility. You see snaps, you’re following all around the film, junior year, senior year, he’s outside, he’s inside. I think he’s got great versatility,” added Payton.

With the selection of Barron, the Broncos boast the most impressive secondary in the National Football League. Opposing offenses will struggle to move the ball down the field with Patrick Surtain II, Riley Moss, Brandon Jones, Talanoa Hufanga, and Barron as their five-deep core in the secondary. The No Fly Zone was special, but dare I say the potential of this unit could rival theirs? It’s certainly within the realm of possibility.

Throughout the draft process, both Paton and Payton were comfortable espousing the idea that they could very well continue to draft and build upon existing strengths. And with the selection of Barron—that’s precisely what they did. Without question, the Broncos got a lot better on the defensive side of the ball yesterday.

I’m thrilled with the addition of Barron to the squad and believe he will be an elite playmaker on the backend of the franchise’s defense for years to come. Welcome to Denver, Jahdae!