Like it or not, the Denver Broncos taking cornerback Jahdae Barron in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft was one of the top steals of the entire draft weekend. Barron was the top cornerback in the entire class behind Travis Hunter, and there are plenty of people out there who feel like he was even the top corner in the class over Travis Hunter.
Those who think that way would include the host of characters at Pro Football Focus, who couldn't stop gushing over the Broncos' selection of Barron after the pick was made.
From his coverage abilities to his ball skills, his aggressiveness, his versatility, and every aspect of the fit in Denver's defense, the pick of Jahdae Barron has a chance to be one of the most significant moves of the 2025 NFL Draft considering how much it upgrades Denver's defense.
PFF can't love the Broncos pick of Jahdae Barron enough
Cris Collinsworth, who is the color commentator for Sunday Night Football as well as one of the owners of PFF, said that he had Barron in his top 10 overall prospects and threw out the name Jalen Ramsey when talking about his skill set.
After letting it settle for a bit, PFF's lead draft analyst Trevor Sikkema talked about the Broncos' overall draft class and how much he loved the class overall. The PFF staff gave a "B" grade to Denver's draft but the analysts seem to love each individual pick more than the consensus.
What's really fun about the Barron pick is that the PFF guys mention how last year in the NFL, Pat Surtain II was the most valuable non-quarterback in the league per their WAR (wins above replacement) metrics, and at the collegiate level, the most valuable non-quarterback was actually Jahdae Barron.
Barron's impact will be felt immediately in the Denver defense as they integrate him likely at a number of different positions. It's impossible to rule out the possibility of him playing outside corner given the fact that the Broncos have multiple guys who have the physicality to play in the slot, but he will be playing in the slot at a bare minimum.
The Broncos have a lot to deal with this coming season (and going forward) in terms of the playmakers they are going up against. A player like Barron, who had the highest coverage grade among all defensive players according to PFF last year, is going to be a huge neutralizer for this Denver team.