Broncos player clinging to relevancy as breakout rookie steals spotlight

The Denver Broncos brought along what appears to be a solid rookie class, and they could already be making other players irrelevant.

The NFL is a tough business, as rookies are constantly brought in to take someone else's job. A clear example of this is the Tennessee Titans drafting Cam Ward first overall to effectively replace Will Levis. There are countless more examples as well.

The Broncos fall into this mix, as one of their more shocking draft picks back in April is absolutely making this veteran player mostly irrelevant.

Jahdae Barron is kind of making Ja'Quan McMillian an afterthought

Jahdae Barron was the shocking first-round pick by the Denver Broncos in the 2025 NFL Draft. He was the 20th overall pick, and it seems like Denver had a legitimate first-round grade on the player and in a draft where there were not a ton of first-round players.

Hearing Barron's name called was a bit of a shock, but the versatile DB is able to line up in the slot, at safety, and even on the outside. No one truly knows where Barron will begin, but it does seem like he will predominantly get snaps in the slot, which could make Ja'Quan McMillian not only an afterthought, but could lead to him being off the roster altogether.

The Broncos also have Damarri Mathis and Kris Abrams-Draine in the CB room. Patrick Surtain II, Riley Moss, Brandon Jones, and Talanoa Hufanga figure to be the four starters in the Broncos base 3-4 defense, but Barron's versatility could end up being a huge weapon for Vance Joseph in the 2025 NFL Season.

Ja'Quan McMillian definitely made some exceptional plays for the Denver Broncos over the past couple of seasons, but it does seem like this draft pick is effectively replacing him for the most part. You have to wonder if the Broncos would be open to hearing trade offers for McMillian or if they do have some sort of plan for him in 2025.