Jahdae Barron was a stunning pick for the Broncos; here are 3 reasons why it makes sense

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Jahdae Barron is the newest member of the Denver Broncos, and few draft observers expected such a sentence to be written.

“The mocks that you guys read for the last month, what do you want me to say?” Broncos coach Sean Payton said Thursday night in the wake of the NFL Draft’s first round, which saw the Broncos select Barron, the reigning Jim Thorpe Award winner from the University of Texas.

“It’s embarrassing sometimes, but it’s entertaining.”

The Broncos certainly aren’t embarrassed about the pick. The “best player available” argument could clearly and easily be made for Barron. Whether it meshed with need — that’s another story.

But if you look closer, adding Barron makes sense.

THE BACKGROUND

Yes, they have the Defensive Player of the Year at one spot in Pat Surtain II, a solid young starter on the opposite side in Riley Moss and a steady third-year veteran in the slot in Ja’Quan McMillian who is eligible for restricted free agency next year.

With Surtain signed long-term and Moss in the third year of his rookie deal, it’s a corps they should be able to keep together. Last year’s fifth-round choice, Kris Abrams-Draine, impressed down the stretch last year and provides depth; general manager George Paton lavished praise on him three-and-a-half weeks ago at the NFL Annual Meeting in Palm Beach, Fla.

A fifth cornerback for developmental depth was on the list of needs after special-teams standout Tremon Smith returned to the Houston Texans to become the NFL’s highest-paid core special teamer.

But then Barron fell through the first round.

“We weren’t expecting him to be there,” Paton said.

Few did. Many pundits expected Barron to go to the Miami Dolphins with the No. 13 overall pick, especially with trade rumblings swirling around Jalen Ramsey.

But Miami passed, selecting defensive lineman Kenneth Grant, who interviewed with the Broncos at the NFL Scouting Combine.

Plans change. Barron — who had a single interview with the Broncos, via Zoom, fell down the board. And now he’s a Denver Bronco.

WHY BARRON MAKES SENSE

1. CORNERBACK IS ALWAYS A NEED
; BARRON FILLS IT

As noted earlier, even when you have a solid room, a team never stops evaluating the position. The injury rate is high; even though the Broncos are among the league’s healthiest the last two years, Moss has dealt with significant issues in both seasons.

At Las Vegas in Week 12 last season, a medial collateral ligament injury felled Moss. He missed four games. In the first week of his convalescence — the Monday Night Football contest against the Cleveland Browns — the results were disastrous, as understudy Levi Wallace replaced Moss and found himself the repeated target of Jameis Winston’s tosses to Jerry Jeudy.

Jeudy set a record for most receiving yards ever accumulated in a single game against the Broncos. Most were at Wallace’s expense. By game’s end, Abrams-Draine received snaps; he held his own and saw more work in the following two games. But it served as a reminder of how fragile depth can be, and how a single injury can tear asunder a secondary.

And in an AFC that features quarterbacks like Lamar Jackson, Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow and Josh Allen, a top-flight, deep secondary is essential for not merely survival, but a chance to topple the power structure.

With Barron in the fold, the Broncos can withstand an injury.

2. POSITIONAL VALUE MATTERS

The argument against running back in the first round often came down to positional value; it’s not considered one of the premium pillar positions around which teams are built (quarterback, pass-protecting tackle, edge rusher, No. 1 cornerback). Every No. 1 overall pick since 1997 has been at one of those spots.

Just five top-three picks since 2007 aren’t at these spots — and three of them are interior defensive-linemen who are premium pass rushers.

At No. 20, the discussion becomes murkier. But it remains relevant, and when a cornerback such as Barron regarded by most observers as — at worst — the No. 2 player at the position behind CU’s Travis Hunter, you grab him.

Thus, the quality of running back, guard or safety that will fall to Round 2 is generally better than the quality of cornerback, tackle or quarterback. Bo Nix probably wasn’t the 12th-best prospect last year if you stacked all of them based on potential and ability heading into the draft, but positional value had relevance.

This is compounded by the uniqueness of Barron’s specific skill set as a cornerback.

“These are premium positions, and this type of player is less available than so many other positions,” Payton said. “It’s harder to find these traits and what he does than at other positions not only in the draft, [but elsewhere in the] offseason.

“… The value of these defensive backs in the last 10 years has really skyrocketed relative to how the game has changed.”

3. BARRON IS A UNICORN IN THIS YEAR’S DRAFT

He’s officially listed as a cornerback, and he can play both outside and in the slot. But he also has a background at Texas at the star position, which required him to provide run support as an edge setter, and blitz on occasion as well as cover.

“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,” Payton said. “… The versatility was something where you don’t have to pigeonhole into one spot or another.”

He really does it all 🫢@officia1dae pic.twitter.com/lbwF3hJdmy

— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) November 16, 2024

Other prospects have some of this ability to move around; none combine that with Barron’s technical aptitude at cornerback.

The numbers this up; among 448 cornerbacks who were targeted at least 20 times last season, he ranked fifth in lowest passer rating allowed (34.2) and 13th in yards per coverage snap allowed (0.53 yards), per Pro Football Focus data. He also had just two penalties last season.

AND ONE MORE FOR GOOD MEASURE … PLENTY OF RUNNING BACKS REMAIN

While the true “three-down” running backs could be running short — perhaps down to TreVeyon Henderson and Devin Neal and arguably Quinshon Judkins — Payton has long favored a two-back approach, anyway.

Three is a bridge too far, and he acknowledged last season that he had trouble balancing matters as he tried to find a balance with Javonte Williams, Audric Estimé and Jaleel McLaughlin with none of them seizing the job. But with two primary ballcarriers and another for a change of pace? That can work.

The presence of Estimé, Tyler Badie and Blake Watson also gives Payton options as to what kind of running back he can add. A power back like Iowa’s Kaleb Johnson can mesh well in a pairing with Watson, who has more “joker” qualities, while Tennessee’s Dylan Sampson would partner best with a brute-force interior runner such as Estimé or a small, compact bruiser like Badie.

Either way, running back, like much of the Broncos’ roster, has some flexibility. That comes with having a roster that no longer has as many holes as Charlie Brown’s Halloween costume.

This isn’t 2021 anymore. Back then, the selection of Surtain arched eyebrows with a roster flooded with needs, particularly quarterback.

In 2025, the Broncos can take a cornerback that might look superfluous and a bit of a luxury item on the surface — but could be a perfect fit over the long haul to help them counter the leviathan quarterbacks they must conquer to rise in the stacked AFC.

JAHDAE DOES IT AGAIN 🤯@Officia1dae pic.twitter.com/O7u8ULq4Mg

— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) October 20, 2024

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