NFL.com Hands Broncos First-Round CB Jahdae Barron Strong Preseason Grade

As Rookie Watch continues across the NFL, the strength of the Denver Broncos' roster has made this vigil a little less pronounced locally this offseason. 

Nevertheless, Broncos' first-round cornerback Jahdae Barron's transition to the professional ranks has marched ahead relatively smoothly and has garnered national scrutiny. Coming out of the Broncos' 27-7 preseason win over the Arizona Cardinals, NFL.com's Chad Reuter rendered a grade on Barron's contribution, giving him a B.

"Barron primarily played nickel against the Cardinals, as expected. His biggest impact came against the run, taking out the legs of Michael Carter on an inside play and filling the hole to wrestle down Carter on another snap. Barron showed speed off the edge on a third-down blitz and displayed physicality fighting through a block to limit the gain on a quick throw," Reuter wrote. "The first-rounder kept pace in coverage most plays but was picked on underneath on a crossing route that converted a third down. Barron played outside on a couple of snaps, stumbling out of his cut on one comeback route that harmlessly sailed out of bounds."

Broncos head coach Sean Payton has said that Barron will stay at cornerback moving forward, even though he's versatile and can play safety. The Broncos' ongoing evaluation has settled into Barron playing primarily in the nickel role during training camp, though he's played some boundary corner in the preseason games thus far. 

The nickel is a spot where Barron can use his elite tackling skills to the max in run support, and can also utilize his knack for a well-timed blitz to cause disruption. Barron certainly likes to lay the wood, but he played down his tackling abilities post-game on Saturday, as he feels that collective pursuit can be an advantage to any individual player.

"That's just a one-two and then, you can't coach effort," Barron said about offering run support as a cornerback. "If I can just run to the ball, I know my brothers will be right there to come down with me. So, that's what it's all about." 

Undoubtedly, Barron is talented enough to play out on the boundary if he's given enough time to hone his craft, but it's probably a good thing he's starting out in the nickel. Playing opposite Patrick Surtain II will draw constant attention from opposing quarterbacks. 

With Reuter highlighting slight blemishes in his game against the Cardinals, Barron would benefit from receiving a little more development from defensive coordinator Vance Joseph and his staff. The first-rounder kept pace in coverage on most plays but was exploited underneath on a crossing route that converted a third down.

Barron played outside on a couple of snaps, stumbling out of his cut on one comeback route that harmlessly sailed out of bounds. Make no bones about it, though: the Broncos will let the reigning Jim Thorpe Award winner work things out organically in 2025.

Alongside the impressive young depth the Broncos have assembled at the edge rusher position, Payton is also high on his team's cornerback room.

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"There'll be a lot of things that I think when we put the tape on, there are some younger guys that are playing, giving us good pass rush, and snaps," Payton said after beating the Cardinals. "I think we're deeper at the corner position than we were a year ago. So that's encouraging."