Chiefs fans have every reason to enjoy how quickly the Jahdae Barron pick has gone sideways for the Broncos.
What looked like a bargain in the 2025 NFL Draft has turned into a shaky first-round investment. Denver took the Texas cornerback at No. 20 overall, and at the time plenty of people around the league liked the move.
Broncos fans certainly did. But the early returns have been rough, and the optimism around Barron has faded fast.
As a rookie, Barron started only five games and closed the season with a 51.5 PFF grade. The hope was that Year 2 would bring a real jump, especially with a full offseason in Denver’s system.
Instead, he has barely been on the field. Through two games, Barron has played just six defensive snaps, and his special teams usage has been limited as well.
Sayre Bedinger of Predominantly Orange said the situation is getting hard to defend.
"Through two games, Barron has played a total of six defensive snaps. He's only played 18 special teams snaps in two games (35 percent), meaning his role is virtually non-existent.
For a first-round pick that is not a quarterback, this is simply inexcusable roster malpractice, and the Broncos seem to realize the error of their ways," Bedinger wrote. "The Broncos don't currently have a place for Jahdae Barron in their defense.
But wait, it gets worse. Not only do the Broncos not have a place for Barron in their starting defense right now with Pat Surtain, Riley Moss, and Ja'Quan McMillian at the cornerback positions, but his future is apparently limited to just the slot."
That’s a brutal spot for any first-round pick, especially one Denver expected to help fortify Vance Joseph’s defense. Instead, Barron’s role appears extremely narrow, and the Broncos don’t seem to have much room for him right now.
It also stings because Denver could have used that pick on other needs. The Broncos are already without a first-rounder this year because of the Jaylen Waddle trade, so missing on Barron only adds to the damage.
From a Chiefs perspective, that matters. When a division rival whiffs on a premium pick, it can echo for a while.
The source of the frustration is simple: Denver thought Barron would be a major piece of its future, and instead he has barely been part of the present. Six defensive snaps through two games is not the kind of start anyone had in mind when he came off the board at No. 20.
For Chiefs Kingdom, that’s the kind of draft misfire that’s hard not to smile at.
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