For a general manager like George Paton of the Denver Broncos, being able to take the best player available in the first round of the NFL Draft is a luxury many cannot afford. It's the beachfront property, the skyline view, the man cave. It's the type of pick indicative of a GM who is not only secure in his position, but had the freedom to do literally whatever he wanted in round one.
That's not to say that the Broncos' pick of Jahdae Barron was reckless or unnecessary. The Broncos were simply in a position at 20 overall that they could afford to take whoever was the top player on their board, regardless of position, and that's exactly what they did.
And George Paton couldn't stop gushing about the pick after he made it.
Broncos GM George Paton gives glowing report on Jahdae Barron
“We weren’t expecting him to be there. He was pretty high up on our board. What we liked about him is [that] he’s a playmaker. He’s a football player. He’s a fun watch. I did him during the season, then after the season, Sean and I watched him last week, but we just couldn’t stop watching him. Just the instincts and participation, route awareness, zone coverage, really sticking to [his] man, doesn’t give up any completions. I don’t think he gave up a touchdown; we kept looking.
Ball skills...In the run game, this guy’s really good in the run game, a really good tackler, really good blitzer. He plays all over the field. This guy’s got really good football intelligence. He just kind of fits everything we’re looking for in a player. Talk about versatility, football intelligence, play-making ability. He’s just going to add to a really good defense. We’re excited to have him.”
- Broncos GM George Paton (via Broncos PR)
This is the quote of a general manager who just got a top-10 player on his board. The Broncos did say at their pre-draft presser that they felt like the player they could get at 20 wouldn't be much different than the player they could get at 10 if that's where they were picking.
The Broncos loved his versatility which you see all over when you watch him at Texas, but this was a guy they didn't talk to all that much in the lead-up to the draft. That is indicative of the fact that Barron was one of the cleanest guys on their board.
When you talk about football character, football IQ, and all of the things George Paton mentioned, it adds up to the team getting a player whose impact will be felt tremendously right away.