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By Rowan Fisher-Shotton
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Training camp has arrived, and for the Denver Broncos, one name to watch closely is second-year cornerback Jahdae Barron. Denver used the 20th overall pick on Barron a year ago, and while he couldn't steal the starting job outright as a rookie, he should have a much bigger role this season.
Barron spent his first year buried in one of the NFL's deepest secondaries, including All-Pro corner Patrick Surtain II, with Riley Moss and Ja'Quan McMillian holding down the outside and slot positions. Moss played a team-high 96.89% of Denver's defensive snaps, while McMillian wasn't too far behind at 66%.
Still, across all 17 games, Barron piled up 35 combined tackles, five pass breakups, an interception and a fumble recovery — all while starting just five games and playing only 334 total snaps (29.7%) on the season. Even in that limited role, he was effective sliding around the formation, playing outside corner, nickel, and safety at different points under defensive coordinator Vance Joseph.
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That versatility is what made him one of the top corners in the 2025 NFL Draft, and what should set him up for even more success in Year 2.
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Barron was an All-SEC and All-American corner at Texas before getting drafted to the NFL. He won the Jim Thorpe Award as a senior in 2024, racking up 67 combined tackles, 11 pass breakups, an SEC-leading five interceptions, 2.5 tackles for loss, a sack, and a fumble recovery across 16 games.
He backed that up at the NFL Combine, running a 4.39-second 40-yard dash to go along with a 35-inch vertical jump, and was widely considered the second-best cornerback in the 2025 NFL Draft — behind only Heisman winner and No. 2 overall pick Travis Hunter.
Now heading into Year 2 in Denver, with McMillian and Moss both set to hit free agency after the 2026 season, the door is open for Barron to lock down that No. 2 spot opposite Surtain.
Head coach Sean Payton has already hyped up the young defensive back heading into camp, saying during OTAs: "It's been great. He's been studying in the film room. You can tell that he is progressively getting better. His IQ and his fundamentals of the game suggest that he is wise beyond his years, going into his second year. I'm excited for him."
His rookie season may have been underwhelming on paper, but the tools are clearly there for Barron to make the jump in his second season with the Broncos.
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