ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Jahdae Barron is clear on the math. Crystal clear.
Despite being the Denver Broncos' first-round draft pick in 2025, the 24-year-old cornerback has been overshadowed -- in playing time, statistical production and in-game impact -- by players drafted before and after him. Such is life when one is dropped into what is arguably the NFL's best secondary.
But Barron and the Broncos knew this would be the case when he was selected with the 20th overall pick last year. And his confidence regarding what he's capable of this season and beyond has not been dented.
"You've got to be committed to the process without being emotionally attached to the results," Barron said. "At the end of the day, you wake up and you set goals every day, you just have to keep going ... you can't cheat the process."
Barron's relative lack of playing time as a rookie isn't a deterrent, as he might have played more -- much more -- had he landed with any other NFL franchise. Browns linebacker Carson Schwesinger (No. 33 overall) was selected by a team that's won eight games the past two seasons. He played 956 snaps last season and won the league's Defensive Rookie of the Year award. Nick Emmanwori, picked by the Seahawks two spots after Schwesinger, slid into Seattle's open nickel spot immediately. But Barron joined a Broncos secondary that was already stacked with quality starters and returns each of those players this season.
Included are two players, cornerback Pat Surtain II and safety Talanoa Hufanga, who earned second-team All-Pro honors last season. They are joined by fourth-year cornerback Riley Moss -- who Hufanga has called "one of the most athletic corners I've ever been around" -- safety Brandon Jones and nickel corner Ja'Quan McMillian, considered by many evaluators to be one of the best nickels in the league.
Those players helped the Broncos' pass defense finish first in the NFL in yards allowed per dropback (4.95) and second in the NFL in completion percentage allowed (57.8%) and yards allowed per pass attempt (6.1). So Barron is combination of philosopher, dreamer and old-school grinder with his own way to measure progress.
"People have opinions and whatever the opinions, it truly doesn't matter," Barron said. "I'm going to wake up and eat the same exact food ... I'm going to text my mom. ... Nothing changes about my life ... I'm just going to continue meet my expectations and not somebody else's expectations."
Those expectations could collide with increased playing time soon. Moss, McMillian and Jones are poised to be on a hearty list of Broncos scheduled to be unrestricted free agents next March. Moss and McMillian took similar paths to what Barron is taking, which the former first-rounder acknowledges.
"As humans we want more, and we try and beat and rush the process," Barron said. " ... You just have to stay true to what you believe in and sometimes it's hard. Sometimes you won't wake up in the mood, it won't be your day, but at the end of the day, you've got to be strong."
He has a high bar to clear for more playing time in the short term. Surtain was voted as the best cornerback in the league in an ESPN poll of coaches, scouts and league personnel executives. Moss is the most challenged man-to-man cornerback in the league because of Surtain's presence and possesses the kind of athleticism and competitiveness the Broncos want opposite the All-Pro.
But Barron is doing his part to make his case for more playing time in 2026 and down the road. He returned an interception 97 yards for a touchdown in the preseason opener against the Falcons. He is also one of the fastest players in the league (he ran a 4.39 40-yard dash at the 2025 combine at 194 pounds), and his positional versatility allows him to move around the defense.
Barron is also known as a sure tackler, with several league personnel executives saying he didn't miss one in his final season at Texas. That gave the Broncos the liberty to play him at outside corner, nickel corner, safety and as a linebacker in the team's dime package (six defensive backs) last season, a menu that should be similar this year.
"He wants more, obviously, I want more for him," Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph said. " ... But I've said, we have a good secondary, and for us to have three or four or five good corners, that's a good thing, not a bad thing ... It's about finding those places where he can help us."
That won't involve a position move, as Broncos coach Sean Payton has made it clear that cornerback will be Barron's primary job.
"I read somewhere where we moved him to safety ... I'm not [moving him]," Payton said. "He's playing nickel, he's playing corner and then when we get into dime, he replaces a linebacker. So, he's doing really good."
Assuming the Broncos stay healthy, 2026 might not see a big uptick of snaps for Barron. But he believes all the multi-tasking is good for the long game of his career.
"Once you're at so many different positions, it allows you to understand everybody else's job ... and when you know everybody else's job, it allows you to know what kind of leverage you're supposed to be in," Barron said. "Right now it's still working parts, working movements, but I look down the line and it's going to be amazing."
