Broncos HC Sean Payton Shuts Down One Positional Option for Jahdae Barron

Keeping the conveyor belt of young talent moving forward will always keep the lights on at Dove Valley deep into the night. The Denver Broncos' cornerback position didn't appear to be an offseason need entering 2025, but the draft saw Texas standout Jahdae Barron arrive to add an extra element to a roster strength, regardless. 

Barron's arrival was less about succession planning and more about adding an extra layer of attacking flexibility to a unit set to be firmly in the conversation for being the best in the league. In so many ways, Barron dropping to the 20th spot did much to force the Broncos' hand, but in a good way, because he's so skilled at playing inside or out. 

"He's extremely smart, and he played both at Texas," Broncos head coach Sean Payton said of Barron on Thursday. "His instincts are real, real high. You can give him more than maybe some other younger player at the same position. Some guys you might say, 'Let's just leave him at left corner or right corner.' I think he's one of those players that can handle volume." 

Being as pro-ready as Barron appears to be, certainly in the opinion of his head coach, should allow the Broncos to line him up in several different spots as a rookie and trust that he can go full speed. 

In New Orleans, Payton drafted Malcolm Jenkins in the first round and initially played him at cornerback before moving him to safety, where he'd produce a decorated career. Payton's plan for Barron is certainly ambitious, but the veteran coach isn't going to push it as far as adding safety to the 23-year-old's burgeoning resume.

"I don't have the same vision that I did for Malcolm," Payton said. "Malcolm came in in [2009]. He played nickel and then went to safety. No, I'm not saying he couldn't in a pinch, but the vision for him is corner: inside and outside."

Keeping a Defense Together

In the NFL, losing key players isn't restricted to the defensive side of the ball. It's part and parcel of the salary cap era NFL, but navigating the ebbs and flows of team-building presents a constant challenge for Payton. 

"It's hard to keep players who are playing well," Payton said on Thursday. "You can't pay them all, so in this salary cap structure, you're going to lose good players. We had a third round in New Orleans where it was [Saints RB Alvin] Kamara, [Lions LB] Alex Anzalone, [Bengals DE] Trey Hendrickson. All of them in the third round. In a few years, that becomes difficult. So can that impact defense? Yes."

Keeping an elite unit together gets more problematic over time, especially when it leads the league in the marquee category of sacks. For the Broncos, key guys like John Franklin-Myers and Zach Allen are pushing for a raise, so Payton is well aware of the juggling act he's trying to pull off. 

Still, Payton doesn't subscribe to the notion that keeping a defense together is any more difficult than an offense.

"I don't know that I buy into there's more volatility on that side of the ball than on offense," Payton said. "I think it just depends on the team. And I don't plan on having any volatility with our defense from last year." 

Victory: Jones Stays in the Fold

Kudos to Broncos GM George Paton for managing to keep key interior lineman D.J. Jones in the fold, a move that Payton enthusiastically applauded. 

"It was important," Payton said of bringing Jones back. "He's important to what we do both in the run and the passing game. I consider him a leader and a really good football player." 

Even so, the difficulties that Payton referenced are likely to persist as the Broncos attempt to keep everyone happy moving forward. Ultimately, Jones was delighted to thrash out his new deal because of the success he's found playing within defensive coordinator Vance Joseph's scheme. 

When push came to shove, Jones was savvy enough to know that being overly fixated on the money side of things could have derailed him last year. 

Recommended Articles

"[I just thought], 'Just play football.' Like I said last year—someone asked me about money, and I was like, I've been there before," Jones said of the approach he took in 2024. "I've thought about money, and it slowed me down. A free mind on the football field is a dangerous player."