Former Top Pick Talks Development At Cornerback For Broncos

Denver Broncos cornerback Jahdae Barron has done the math, and he understands the process and the criticism that’s come with that combination. He’s a top draft pick who’s performance has been underwhelming so far, and he’s on a Super Bowl contender with one of the best defenses in football. 

The 24-year old cornerback has been bidding for more playing time, but he may not get it, even though he had a 97-yard interception return for a touchdown in the preseason. 

Cornerback Riley Moss was a playmaker in preseason, too, and Ja’Quan McMillian earned that status last season with the big pick he made in the AFC Championship game last year. Barron offered some thoughts about where he’s at with all this in a piece by Jeff Legwold of ESPN, and they indicated that he’s in a tough spot right now. 

"You've got to be committed to the process without being emotionally attached to the results," Barron said. "At the end of the day, you wake up and you set goals every day, you just have to keep going ... you can't cheat the process."

That’s a nice way of sort of admitting that he’s been outplayed so far, which isn’t surprising given that he’s also in a secondary that includes the likes of Pat Surtain II and Talanoa Hufanga. Barron occasionally got lost and missed assignments last year, and the Broncos can’t afford to have big mistakes given what they’re trying to accomplish.

"People have opinions and whatever the opinions, it truly doesn't matter," Barron said. "I'm going to wake up and eat the same exact food ... I'm going to text my mom. ... Nothing changes about my life ... I'm just going to continue meet my expectations and not somebody else's expectations."

Barron’s strengths are his versatiliy and speed, as he ran a 4.39 40-yard dash at the 2025 combine at 194 pounds, per Legwold. The Broncos have moved him around as a result, but that runs contrary to the typical expectations for a first-round pick. 

"He wants more, obviously, I want more for him," Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph said. " ... But I've said, we have a good secondary, and for us to have three or four or five good corners, that's a good thing, not a bad thing ... It's about finding those places where he can help us."

Coach Sean Payton has made it clear that a positional move isn’t in the picture for Barron, despite the fact that a shift to safety has been mentioned. 

"I read somewhere where we moved him to safety ... I'm not [moving him]," Payton said. "He's playing nickel, he's playing corner and then when we get into dime, he replaces a linebacker. So, he's doing really good."

It’s been a bit of a slow crawl for Barron so far, but he’s playing the long game in this situation, in large part because he really doesn’t have a choice right now given what he put on the field as a rookie. 

"Once you're at so many different positions, it allows you to understand everybody else's job ... and when you know everybody else's job, it allows you to know what kind of leverage you're supposed to be in," Barron said. "Right now it's still working parts, working movements, but I look down the line and it's going to be amazing."