Since we have no idea how NFL Draft prospects will turn out as players, one of the favorite pre-draft traditions every year is to try and watch a player's game stylistically and compare them to current NFL players. It helps get the fans excited about what kind of players are coming on board a roster when you haven't had much of a chance to watch them play.
The Denver Broncos used a first-round pick on Jahdae Barron who has been compared to a wide variety of different players. Because of his versatility to play safety, cornerback, slot, dime, and even blitz over the A gap, Barron has been compared to players like Brian Branch and Cooper DeJean.
And there's a major value in having versatile players like that in today's NFL game. But who does Jahdae Barron compare Jahdae Barron to? Who does the man himself think he plays like?
He gave an answer to that question before the NFL Draft that Kansas City Chiefs fans will absolutely hate.
Broncos CB Jahdae Barron compared his game to Chiefs CB Trent McDuffie
Barron said that the player he watches and likes to model his game after is Trent McDuffie of the Kansas City Chiefs. He says the reason is because of the way the Chiefs use McDuffie in the slot and outside and because they have similar body types.
What's interesting is that Barron is not the only one to compare his game to Trent McDuffie. The PFF College Football Show actually compared Barron's game to McDuffie's, along with a number of other big-time names you will recognize.
In this video alone, the names Cooper DeJean, Brian Branch, Trent McDuffie, and even Stephon Gilmore are thrown around. You obviously want to avoid laying on the hyperbole too thick after the NFL Draft, but these are all pre-draft takes.
It's exciting for the Denver Broncos' defense to add a playmaker like Barron to the mix, especially if he can turn out to be as impactful as the guys being mentioned here. The PFF College Football guys also said they felt like Barron was the best cornerback in the 2025 draft class, even over #2 overall pick Travis Hunter.
Their thought before the draft was that if Barron made it into the 20s, it would be highway robbery. What is really fascinating about the Trent McDuffie comparisons is that McDuffie was also projected as a top-10 or top-15 selection and he ended up falling all the way to the 21st overall pick where the Chiefs scooped him up. Barron was a projected top-15 pick who ended up going 20th overall.
There are layers to the parallels.
If Barron is even close to McDuffie's level, this pick will be a steal for the Broncos.