2025 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Jahdae Barron

Barron participated in nearly all the drills at the NFL Combine except for the agility drills. He finished with an 8.81 Relative Athletic Score, testing especially well in the forty-yard dash.

Background

Jahdae Barron was born in Austin, Texas, and played his high school ball at John B. Connally High School. In high school, Barron played both cornerback and wide receiver. As a senior, he hauled in 41 receptions, 673 yards, and six touchdowns whilst notching 43 tackles and three interceptions on defense.

Barron, a four-star recruit per 247sports, juggled commitments between TCU and Baylor before settling on the University of Texas. As a Longhorn, Barron's meteoric rise didn't happen until 2023 when, as a predominantly slot cornerback, he was named a Jim Thorpe Semifinalist and selected All-Big 12 second team.

Barron's rise to stardom continued this past season as a fifth-year defensive back in a stout Texas defense. He started all 15 games and led the SEC in interceptions with five. He also nabbed the 2024 Jim Thorpe Award and was named to the All-America First Team by the Associated Press.

The accolades poured in for arguably the best player on an elite Texas defense. Barron was named the 2025 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl defensive MVP, first-team All-SEC, and a finalist for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy.

Strengths

• Elite Processing: Barron's ability to process the speed of the game is second to none amongst this cornerback class. His understanding of route concepts allows him to break into routes before receivers.
• Versatility: Barron has nearly 1,000 snaps at both slot corner and boundary corner and excelled at each position.
• Aggressive Tackler: In today's NFL, where your slot corner must be a factor in the run game, Barron displays the violence and technique required to bring down ball carriers despite a smaller (5'11" / 194 pounds) frame.

Weaknesses

• Man Coverage: Texas let Barron play predominantly in zone coverage (where he excelled), reading the quarterback. His man skills aren't sub-par, but they'll likely need refining at the next level due to lack of experience.
• Frame: With teams wanting their boundary cornerbacks above that 6'0" threshold, Barron may be destined for the slot. His arm length (29-5/8") is only in the 13th percentile for the position, and larger receivers can occasionally out-muscle him.

Final Thoughts and Chicago Bears Fit for Jahdae Barron

I challenge anyone to watch the film on Jahdae Barron and not come away thinking he could have an excellent case for CB2 in this year's class behind Travis Hunter. Paired with safety Andrew Mukuba, Barron led a Texas secondary that was arguably the best in the nation this past season.

Barron wastes little movement in his game, and a huge reason why is his legitimately elite processing speed and understanding of routes before they develop. Few players digest the game as quickly as Barron, and because he has the uncanny ability to see plays before they develop, he offers a very high-floor starting point for NFL teams.

As a player, I love Barron's game. Regarding the versatility he offers an NFL team, you can draw comparisons to Cooper DeJean and the immediate impact his versatility had on the Eagles' defense. From a physical standpoint, I see similarities in athleticism and processing to Nate Hobbs (who just signed a $48 million deal this offseason with Green Bay).

Regarding the Bears and Dennis Allen's scheme, Jahdae Barron would have a place on the roster. However, because I feel his most likely home in the NFL is as a slot cornerback, I'm doubtful that the Bears will expend the resources needed when they already have an outstanding cornerback on the roster in Kyler Gordon.

Pro Comp: Nate Hobbs