Jahdae Barron has not moved to safety, according to Sean Payton

Denver Broncos cornerback Jahdae Barron was a first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

It’s clear the Broncos have high expectations for Barron, even if he didn’t live up to the hype his rookie year.

And not all of that is Barron’s fault as he was squeezed for playing time by Riley Moss on the outside and Ja’Quan McMillian in the slot. The Broncos took Barron because he was the “best player available” at No. 20 overall, not because he was going to make a huge impact right away.

Barron played a limited number of snaps throughout the year and was barely on the field against the New England Patriots in the AFC Title Game. This has caused some in Broncos Country to panic, wondering if Barron might have that dreaded “bust” label down the road.

A handful of bloggers have speculated the Jahdae Barron could move to safety in 2026, something head coach Sean Payton wanted to squash after training camp practice on Monday.

“He’s doing good,” Payton said. “I read somewhere where we moved him to safety and I don’t know who wrote the article, I’m not. He’s playing nickel, he’s playing corner and then we get into dime, he replaces a linebacker. So, he’s doing really good. There’s been no position change.”

It’s a solid reminder that with so many folks having a social media platform in 2026, misinformation can get spread. Payton felt the need to tell everyone Barron is not a safety for the Broncos right now.

“No, that’s what the article said. Yeah, no safety work. He’s playing corner, nickel and dime,” Payton said.

So there you have it. With Moss and McMillian in contract years, the Broncos are going to need Jahdae Barron at cornerback. Even if both get re-signed, Denver will control Barron on his rookie deal for multiple seasons.

He’ll either be a great insurance policy or a potential trade chip if Moss and McMillian ink new deals. And if either of them leave, Barron will need to step up immediately.

But the biggest takeaway is don’t believe everything you read online. Jahdae Barron is a cornerback, something Payton emphasized multiple times to hopefully stop the spread of rumors.

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