The Denver Broncos made one of the more shocking decisions of the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft when they took Texas cornerback Jahdae Barron over literally anyone else on the board. As far as "needs" are concerned, the cornerback position was not really on anyone's radar going into the draft for this Broncos team, but Barron presented too good of a value to pass on and he will find his way into the starting lineup soon enough.
The decision to draft Barron may have altered Denver's draft plan significantly, because the team admitted after they selected him that they didn't run any mock draft scenarios in which Barron fell to them. Barron literally created a new "Plan A" for the Broncos in the draft.
And with that in mind, it's interesting to think about the potential disaster the team avoided compared to a division rival, which would have benefitted greatly from the fall of someone like Barron just another couple of spots.
Broncos should be glad they didn't reach for a 1st-round running back
The Broncos landed a player on their draft board at a premium position who was among their top 10-15 overall players in this year's draft. Their division rival Los Angeles Chargers, on the other hand, used a 1st-round pick on a running back after already signing a new starter in free agency.
Omarion Hampton was frequently projected to land with the Denver Broncos in NFL Free Agency, but he was labeled a poor fit for Denver's needs months before the draft ever took place.
Hampton is a battering ram of a running back who needs a high volume of carries in order to be as effective as possible. The Broncos already have a potential power back in Audric Estimé and Sean Payton isn't a fan of the bell-cow in his offense.
“Let’s start with that one. I don’t know if we ever found that right. I understand the committee. I’m used to having two [running backs]. We’re going to have more than just one back. We’re going to stack that position group. It’s too hard in our league to play with just one, rarely does a team do it. Occasionally it happens."
- Sean Payton (via Broncos PR)
That quote is not a direct indictment of Omarion Hampton, but does nobody else find it the least bit interesting that Sean Payton and the Broncos went into the 2025 NFL Draft with a desperate need at running back, and they passed on Hampton (while the Chargers didn't)?
That will go down as one of the more interesting storylines this offseason and one to follow throughout the 2025 regular season (and beyond). The question is, why will that decision haunt the Chargers and not the Broncos?
Well, the Chargers are going to have to deal with getting two guys touches who need the bulk of the touches in order to be as effective as possible. The Chargers also missed out on a player who would have been a much better fit for their needs overall with Barron going to Denver. The Chargers lost Kristian Fulton to the Chiefs this offseason and also said goodbye to former second-round pick Asante Samuel Jr.
They have some young corners waiting in the wings, but they wouldn't have been able to pass on Barron if he somehow fell to them.
The Chargers also passed on potential upgrades in the pass rush department in order to take Omarion Hampton. They lost Joey Bosa in the 2025 offseason and while Bosa's availability was always a question mark, he has always been an impact player whenever he is on the field.
The Broncos strengthened a strength while the Chargers reached for a non-premium position that wasn't an immediate need. Time will tell who made the right call in the draft and certainly both teams can benefit from the picks they made, but will one of these two division rivals be living with regret soon?