The Broncos may have found themselves in an unusual spot with Jahdae Barron: a first-round pick who barely saw the field in his rookie year, yet still sits inside a secondary that played like the best in football in 2025.
That kind of depth creates a real roster puzzle. Denver used the No. 20 pick on the Texas cornerback a year ago, even with an already crowded defensive back room.
But Riley Moss held up as the starting outside corner, Ja'Quan McMillian broke out in the slot, and there just weren’t snaps left for Barron. The same logjam followed him into a 2026 outlook that still looks crowded.
The question, then, isn’t whether Barron has value. It’s whether Denver eventually decides that value is better used somewhere else. As Lou Scataglia of Predominantly Orange put it, the Broncos probably aren’t eager to move him, but “everyone has a price.”
That possibility matters around the AFC West, especially for the Chiefs, who looked like a natural fit for Barron in the 2025 draft. If Kansas City had a first-round grade on him too, the idea of getting a player with three years of cost control becomes awfully tempting.
Scataglia doesn’t think Denver did anything wrong with Barron. The issue was simply that Moss stayed steady on the outside, while McMillian put together a breakout season in the slot.
Even the idea of Barron shifting to safety ran into the same problem: there weren’t snaps there either. In Scataglia’s view, the Broncos still had the best secondary in the NFL in 2025, though he’d also accept second behind the Texans.
Long term, though, Denver’s depth chart may not stay this packed. Moss, McMillian, and safety Brandon Jones are all set to hit free agency in 2027, and the price tags could climb fast.
Scataglia floated Moss at a floor of $15 million per year and McMillian at $10 million per year, before even accounting for Patrick Surtain and Talanoa Hufanga’s deals. That much money tied up in one part of the defense could eventually force some choices.
Still, he sees Barron as part of the future plan. He also pointed to the Broncos’ tendency to keep “their guys,” especially homegrown talent. That makes a trade feel unlikely, even if the front office would listen to calls for the right return.
And what would that return look like? Scataglia said a second-round pick could get it done. He also said he’d be surprised if Denver actually moved Barron, especially to a rival, and noted that it would be unusual for a second-year first-rounder who barely played as a rookie to be dealt at all.
Then again, this front office has already shown it can make bold moves. Scataglia pointed to the NFL record $85 million dead cap Denver absorbed, along with the decision to take Bo Nix just a month later. He also said he would be shocked if the Broncos moved McMillian and slid Barron into the slot, and he doesn’t think Barron is ready to step into the outside CB2 role opposite Surtain either.
For now, the likeliest outcome is simple: Denver keeps Barron. But if the price is right, and if a team like the Chiefs comes calling, the conversation gets a lot more interesting.
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