The Denver Broncos selected CB Jahdae Barron at No. 20 overall.
That was a huge surprise considering the team’s biggest needs are all on the offensive side of the ball.
And to compound the confusion, the Broncos deepest position is probably cornerback, where Barron plays.
The Denver Broncos selected CB Jahdae Barron, but why didn’t they go offense in Round 1?
The Broncos’ biggest needs were running back, tight end, and wide receiver in that order, so it makes little sense they didn’t go offense in the first.
Sure, Broncos fans wanted Ashton Jeanty, the Boise State running back who was runner-up for the Heisman Trophy. He went No. 6 overall to the division rival Las Vegas Raiders.
That was expected.
Then, Colston Loveland and Tyler Warren were the biggest desires for Denver die-hards. But Loveland–the tight end out of Michigan–went higher than expected at No. 10 to Chicago. Then, Warren went at No. 14 to the Indianapolis Colts.
Again, those three were all predicted to go before Denver picked at No. 20, and they did.
Omarion Hampton, the skilled running back out of North Carolina, was supposed to be the guy at 20. And he was still there when the Broncos picked. He’s been compared to Rhamondre Stevenson, the bruising back in New England who’s totaled 3,066 yards and 21 touchdowns in four years.
Texas receiver Matthew Golden was also available; he ran a 4.29 40-yard dash and has been compared to Chris Olave. He could’ve been a stellar No. 2 receiver to Courtland Sutton.
And TreVeyon Henderson, running back out of Ohio State, remains available with the second round set to kick off tonight (5 p.m. MT). His comp player is Aaron Jones, the two-way threat.
Any of those three players would have benefitted Sean Payton’s offense immensely. Especially Hampton or Henderson because Denver’s running back room is bare bones right now.
So, why didn’t they take a running back?
“There was a runner that we considered in that range,” GM George Paton said Thursday. “I think that was more of a trade-back scenario…You never know, but we feel pretty good we’ll get a runner in this draft.”
Hampton went two picks later to the Chargers, so Paton could be talking about him, or maybe he meant Henderson. If it was the latter, it’s possible the Broncos move up in Round 2 tonight to snag him.
Paton and Payton used their first-round pick on a player at their deepest position
It’s no secret the Broncos have Defensive Player of the Year Patrick Surtain as their starting cornerback.
Opposite of him last year was Riley Moss, who played surprisingly well early in the year before fading a bit. That included the Bengals game in which he was picked on, allowing 11 receptions.
Then, there’s Ja’Quan McMillian, the talented slot cornerback in the Mile High City. He’s been consistently solid in that spot the last two seasons.
Behind those three starters, there’s Damarri Mathis, who is certainly serviceable. And don’t forget about Kris Abrams-Draine, who Denver took in the fifth round last year.
Cornerback is the team’s deepest position, hands down. And yet, the Denver Broncos selected CB Jahdae Barron in the first round.
Currently, ESPN has Barron starting ahead of McMillian in the slot, but others believe he will start opposite of Surtain.
“The versatility was something where you don’t have to pigeonhole into one spot or another,” Payton explained on Thursday night.
So, he will likely play a little bit of both. Or at least the team is leaving the door open for him to start outside or inside.
While NFL.com had him compared to Tykee Smith, a rookie last year with Tampa Bay, Matt Miller of ESPN.com says he’s like Cooper DeJean of the Eagles.
The starting cornerback spot opposite Pat Surtain II was wide open until now. Barron has positional versatility with experience at outside and slot cornerback and deep safety. He exploded onto the scene in 2024 when playing outside, a season in which he grabbed five interceptions and won the Jim Thorpe Award as the nation’s best defensive back. My No. 11 overall player, the Broncos get one of the draft’s early wins on value.
Both Miller and Trevor Sikkema of Pro Football Focus had Barron as their 11th-best player in the entire 2025 NFL Draft.
So, considering the Broncos took him at No. 20, Barron looks like a huge steal the day after the first round.
We often hear that teams should take the best available player no matter the position, and that’s what Denver did here.
Barron is a guy who should impact the team immediately, but is also seemingly a more long-term play for the Broncos.
What Denver needs is to win now, with Bo Nix in his rookie contract, and they still desperately need a running back to do so.
