The Denver Broncos shocked the NFL world by taking Jahdae Barron with the 20th overall pick. What kind of grades are they getting for this? Draft grades before a player even takes a snap are kind of unfair and useless, but they are a part of the NFL content world, and people consume the content.
This was a shocking pick - period, as the Broncos had top offensive prospects on the board, and there seemed to be no indication that Barron was in play. Well, it is clear that the Broncos did not think Barron was going to make it to the 20th pick, but he did.
What does hurt a lot here, at least in my eyes, is that Emeka Egbuka went one pick before to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Anyway, you have probably read about how much I loved Egbuka as a prospect, but that's done and over with.
The Broncos are already getting top grades for their first-round draft pick...
Here is what Brent Sobleski of Bleacher Report had to say about the Jahdae Barron pick, giving the Denver Broncos an "A" for the first-round selection:
"The Denver Broncos know what they’re doing. They’re building on a strength by adding a dynamic young defensive back in Texas’ Jahdae Barron.Brent Sobleski
Last season, the Broncos finished third in scoring defense. However, they finished 19th in pass defense despite featuring star cornerback Patrick Surtain II, who was named the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year.
The Broncos' problem is that they didn't have strong complementary cornerbacks. Barron immediately solves that issue, regardless of where Denver wants to play him."
Was this pick an "A" for the Broncos?
Barron is truly coming into a stellar situation, as on paper, without even considering the rookie, the Broncos may have the best secondary in the NFL. What makes Barron so neat is that he's versatile enough to play safety, outside CB, and slot CB.
This is a player who has some Brian Branch to his game in that regard and could be one of those DBs who makes a key, clutch play while the offense tries to avoid Patrick Surtain II. While I am not a huge fan of this pick, I do see the vision and am confident that Jahdae Barron is going to have an insanely prolific rookie season.