The one downside of the Denver Broncos having such a strong roster is that this team is going to have to make some tough decisions on who to keep or get rid of. Furthermore, figuring out the depth chart is another major challenge.
At the end of the day, though, there might not be another team in the NFL that has as much talent as the Broncos do, as this roster is loaded and plenty good enough to win it all this year. There is also surely going to be a heightened level of motivation for 2026 given how the 2025 season ended as well.
And with OTAs right around the corner, there are some players walking on thin ice and perhaps trying to battle for a roster spot, but this former first-round pick may already be walking on that ice...
Denver Broncos 2025 1st-round pick may already be walking on thin ice ahead of OTAs
Is it a stretch to say that Jahdae Barron is already walking on thin ice ahead of year two? I don't think so. Taken with the 20th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, Barron's selection to Denver was a major shock.
It felt like the team was just about guaranteed to draft TreVeyon Henderson out of Ohio State with that pick, but he fell into the second round. The pick right before Barron went, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers took wide receiver Emeka Egbuka, also from Ohio State.
I have personally maintained that Egbuka was going to be Denver's pick, had he fallen one more spot. Barron's selection was a classic example of 'best player available,' and to be fair to the Broncos front office, Barron was the best player left on the board.
The issue, though, was that (and still is) there isn't a clear spot for the cornerback to see playing time. As a rookie, Barron was only able to see the field for 30% of the defensive snaps. With Riley Moss and Ja'Quan McMillian both playing the best football of their respective careers, Barron just could not carve out a role.
And now, with McMillian in the picture for 2026, there isn't a clear spot for Barron to see significant playing time. We could be seeing a scenario where a top-20 NFL Draft pick still can't find a starting spot in year two, which feels insane.
Now, yes, all of Moss, McMillian, and safety Brandon Jones are set to be free agents in 2027, but even in that instance, it really wouldn't be a guarantee where Barron would slot in. He seems to at least have a foundational skillset to be able to play on the outside, as a slot cornerback, or even as a safety.
Not only does Barron not have a path to clear playing time in 2026, but I suppose we shouldn't even assume where Barron ends up playing. It's a less-than-ideal scenario for the defensive back, and it could end up being a double-whammy of the room being crowded and his simply not having enough talent to break through and challenge Moss or McMillian.
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