Jahdae Barron takes Texas Longhorns back where they belong as Denver Broncos select him in first round of 2025 NFL Draft

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Travis May | Last updated Apr 25, 2025 7:15 AM ET

Jahdae Barron developed into perhaps the best cornerback in all of college football last season. His versatility, disciplined tackling, playmaking ability, and consistency all helped carry the Texas Longhorns deep into the College Football Playoff last year. Now he has the Longhorns back where they belong with a defensive back selected firmly inside the first round of the NFL Draft.

Prior to Thursday's first round of the 2025 NFL Draft it had surprisingly been since 2013 that the Texas Longhorns saw one of their defensive backs drafted on day one. Thankfully, the Denver Broncos saw just how special Jahdae Barron truly is and didn't hesitate to take him with the 20th pick overall.

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The last Texas Longhorns defensive back (corner or safety) to go that early in an NFL Draft was Kenny Vaccaro back in 2013 when he was selected by the Saints at pick 15.

It used to be quite commonplace for Texas to send elite defensive back talent onto the NFL to be selected early in the draft, but the recent drought certainly matched the years of struggle that Longhorns fans had to endure prior to Steve Sarkisian's arrival.

From 2006 to 2013 the Vince Young and Colt McCoy era defensive backs of Texas flooded the NFL Draft. Kenny Vaccaro, Earl Thomas, Michael Griffin, and Michael Huff all found themselves selected inside the first 19 picks of their respective NFL Drafts while six other defensive backs got drafted too. However, after that, the draft-worthy defensive back talent dropped off steeply for Texas.

It's good to finally see talents like Jahdae Barron get the Texas Longhorns back where they belong, sending elite defenders to the first round of the NFL Draft. It's victories like this one that should help fuel future recruiting classes to Texas, further solidifying the program's status and eventually sending even more stars off to the pros (hopefully after wildly successful careers at Texas).

Barron's five interceptions, nine passes defended, elite tackle consistency, and sparing contributions in pass rush made him one of the most productive, proven defensive backs in the class. His experience at both slot and outside corner should help him find success wherever the Broncos line him up. We wish you the best, Jahdae.

We'll be back with more Texas Longhorns coverage here at A to Z Sports soon! Follow me (@FF_TravisM) and A to Z Sports (@AtoZSportsNFL) on X for all the latest football news!

And if you want to see exactly why Jahdae Barron earned first round draft capital with the Denver Broncos, just check out his highlights in the video below!