With no more than fifteen minutes left until the Broncos selected at 20th overall, it seemed as though the dream of Ohio State's Emeka Egbuka falling into their laps was coming true. However, a shocking selection by the Buccaneers at 19 quickly ended that dream, and questions arose for Denver. In a move many did not see coming, Denver selected Texas cornerback Jahdae Barron, who consistently ranked higher than 20th overall on draft big boards.
In Mel Kiper's final big board ranking for ESPN, he had Barron ranked about as low as you could see him in the pre-draft process: 20th overall. By no means do the Broncos have a need at corner: Pat Surtain is the 2024 Defensive Player of the Year, Riley Moss had a breakout season starting opposite of him, Ja'Quan McMillian is one of the NFL's better starting nickel backs, and Kris Abrams-Draine showed promise and poise when called upon late in the season.
Broncos are showing great growth with their Jahdae Barron selection
However, the Broncos showed a great deal of organizational growth with their selection of Barron. Denver went with best player available, got great value with arguably the draft's best corner that isn't also a receiver, and selected one of the more safe players in the draft: he's versatile, a great tackler, and posted a 4.39 40-yard dash at the combine.
Given the needs of the team at the moment, it is fair to understand upset fans and questions around the selection. Ashton Jeanty and Omarion Hampton are set to face Denver twice a year each for the next half-decade, and Denver is still without a starting back for themselves. However, as the NFL has proven time and time again, good running backs can be found anywhere. Elite backs? No, of course not, but good backs can. Denver could be in a prime position tonight to land either of Ohio State's duo of TreVeon Henderson or Quinshon Judkins, possibly ASU's Cam Skatebo, Iowa's Kaleb Johnson, or UCF's RJ Harvey. None of these players were worth taking with the 20th overall pick, so Denver... didn't.
Think back to 2014. Coming off an AFC title, the Denver Broncos had UDFA Chris Harris Jr as a budding star, and had locked down major free agent Aqib Talib to start opposite of him, while also having TJ Ward joining the secondary as a starting safety with Rahim Moore. Did the Broncos need Bradley Roby at 31st overall? Safely, they did not. Other holes on the roster existed, and Denver decided to instead take Roby as a way to maximize their value at 31st overall and add to an already strong position.
How did it end? Roby hoisting the Lombardi Trophy and winning a Super Bowl in Denver in his second season. Sometimes, the right move is to add to a strong spot and maximize the value of a position. Denver is primed to have by far football's best cornerback group for the second time within a decade, and showed that the organization has taken the turn from rebuilding to adding on.