Broncos' Jahdae Barron Pick Among 'Biggest Steals of Round 1,' per PFF

The Denver Broncos had one glaring weakness on their starting depth chart entering Thursday’s first round of the 2025 NFL draft: the running back position. With ample rumors of the Broncos trying to aggressively trade up to (allegedly) land Ashton Jeanty, those dreams faded after the Boise State running back went off the board at 6 overall to Las Vegas.

Fret not, though, the Broncos still had a chance to land their most mocked player in Omarion Hampton at 20, should he fall that far. And with the 20th pick, the Broncos select… cornerback?

Yes, cornerback. Many lamented the pick in the moment, given Denver’s needs for a running back and weaponry, but could Jahdae Barron wind up being the obvious best pick in hindsight?

Pro Football Focus' Matt Cameron seems to think that’s a possibility. Cameron's article is headlined by none other than the Jim Thorpe Award-winning defensive back out of Texas and the Broncos’ newest addition to a talented defense.

“Denver opts to build upon a strength, pairing one of the best cornerbacks in college football, Barron, with the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, Pat Surtain II," Cameron wrote. "The versatile coverage defender — the highest-graded cornerback in college football last season (91.1) with at least 400 coverage snaps — is a natural zone defender with incredible instincts and can slot in at any position in the secondary.”

Not many teams and front offices find themselves in the position that Broncos GM George Paton, head coach Sean Payton, and the team's decision-makers found themselves in entering this year’s draft. The Broncos have an overall very healthy roster with few truly debilitating holes on the depth chart, a young, cost-controlled potential franchise quarterback, and the flexibility to go a number of directions in the first round.

The Broncos showcased that flexibility on Thursday, adding Barron to an already robust defensive backfield. It’s been said many times, but it's worth repeating: the NFL draft is not as much about filling immediate needs on a roster as it is about drafting the “best player available” when a team is on the clock. The best player is subjective, and without the gift of hindsight, it's obviously subjective, but teams preach taking the top guy on their board, regardless of need, all the time.

In an ideal world, that would be the case, but it's not often reality. Different regimes spanning across different organizations simply do not have the luxury of adding the best player on their boards through their process to evaluate prospects because many do not have the built-up stability and job security.

The highest player on the board who has a chance to develop into a Pro Bowl player two to three years from now does an organization little good if everyone in the front office and coaching staff is one bad season away from being fired.

It’s one reason incredibly stable and successful regimes, such as the Baltimore Ravens, Pittsburgh Steelers, Kansas City Chiefs, Philadelphia Eagles, can simply sit back, let the draft come to them, and take “luxury” selections with a vision about who this prospect will be not only their rookie season, but 3 years plus into the future.

The Broncos, with their incredible turnaround and their selection of Barron at 20, are also indicating this is a team where the key decision-makers feel safe and secure about their positions and the franchise’s long-term trajectory.

This doesn't mean that Barron won’t be a day-one impact player for Denver. He will likely start in the slot in sub-packages, on the boundary in base, and be utilized in many different alignments playing off of Patrick Surtain II on the outside, but the Broncos could have been fine not adding him and filling in their most obvious hole on the roster with a running back.

Instead, Denver shocked the league and trusted its process in landing a versatile coverage player to further amplify the defense and reduce the inherent volatility associated with defensive backs and defenses in general, year-to-year (and week-to-week).

Only time will tell whether Barron was truly the “best player available," but there should be little criticism of the process and overall vision for the team if the Broncos trust their evaluations and continuously take the top guys when the team is on the clock.