First Round Pick Called ‘Biggest Disappointment’ for Broncos
While Denver Broncos rookie cornerback Jahdae Barron has been looked at as somewhat of a failure in terms of how he was supposed to fit in the NFL’s best defense, last week’s 44-24 win over the Dallas Cowboys might be a turning point for both Barron and his team.
To this point, Barron has not met the expectations placed on him as Denver’s first round pick (No. 20 overall). Getting his first interception against the Cowboys along big opening with cornerback Patrick Surtain II out for the next 3 weeks could change the narrative quickly.
If he doesn’t, Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon already has Barron tagged as the team’s “Biggest Disappointment” through the first 2 months of the regular season.
“Patrick Surtain II has set the bar seriously high for first-round cornerbacks in Denver, and it’s too early to become concerned here,” Gagnon wrote. “That said, the rookie No. 20 overall pick has yet to earn a major role and has played just a quarter of the team’s defensive snaps. He’s got the fifth-lowest defensive PFF grade on the team.”
The Broncos are one of the NFL’s hottest teams — they’re 6-2 and and have won 4 consecutive games headed into a Week 9 road game against the Houston Texans in which Barron will likely play a big part in picking up the slack in Surtain’s absence.
Barron Forced to Sit and Learn Behind Stars
To this point, Barron hasn’t managed to crack the starting lineup not just at outside cornerback, but he’s listed behind Ja’Quan McMillan at slot cornerback.
Through 8 games, Barron has 12 tackles, 1 interception, 1 fumble recover and 3 pass deflections and has made 1 start — he’s also only been on the field for 24 percent of Denver’s defensive snaps along with 21 percent of their special teams snaps.
In Barron’s defense, cracking a lineup that features 2 of the NFL’s elite cornerbacks in Surtain and Riley Moss wasn’t quite as easy as the experts predicted it would be.
Projected as Dark Horse NFL Defensive ROY
Some of the more over the top projections for Barron might have skewed expectations for him before his rookie year.
“This Is Football” podcast host Kevin Clark put Barron at the top of his list of “Instant Impact Rookies” on April 30.
“(Barron) has enough versatility to line up at corner, safety, slot outside and is a dime linebacker,” Clark said. “He can kind of do everything. And I’m already looking at this Denver defense and seeing where he’s going to fit in really easily and there’s playmakers all over the place … I’m having a hard time seeing Barron not being an instant impact star and that Broncos team winning a bunch of games this year.”
It’s not hard to see where that kind of hype comes from.
Barron won the Jim Thorpe Award at the University of Texas in 2024 and followed that up by running the 40-yard dash in a blazing, 4.39 seconds at the NFL scouting combine.
If we’re looking for reason that Barron is off to a slow start, one of them might be that he was one of the last first round picks to sign his contract, inking a 4-year, $18.01 million deal on July 16, which was almost 3 months after he was drafted.
The Lightning could decide to promote some of them on the NHL roster
The Tampa Bay Lightning (5-4-2) are getting back in their groove, winning four straight games after their 2-1 overtime victory over the Dallas Stars. While the Lightning look to rise to the top of the Atlantic Division their American Hockey League (AHL, Syracuse Crunch) and ECHL teams (Orlando Solar Bears) are heading in opposite directions. The Crunch are cruising, with a 6-1-0-0 record, which leads the North Division, while the Solar Bears own a dreadful 1-4-0-0 record, allowing twice as many goals (20) as they’ve scored.
Even still, there are standouts littered in the minors for Tampa Bay, and in some instances, the Lightning could decide to promote some of them on the NHL roster.
AHL: Jakob Pelletier, F
The Lightning signed Pelletier to a three-year contract last offseason in the hopes he’d reach his massive upside. At 24 years old, the 2019 first-round pick scored four goals and seven assists with a plus-10 rating in 24 games for the Calgary Flames last season. That’s an average of about 14-24-38 over a full season, and he was usually playing bottom-six minutes.
Unfortunately, the Flames traded the winger to Philadelphia for Joel Farabee and Morgan Frost in late January. Pelletier couldn’t get back his offensive spark in Philadelphia. With the Flyers, he scored just three goals, five assists, and eight points in 25 games, sometimes being healthy scratched. When he was due $840,000 on a qualifying offer on a two-way deal, the Flyers non-tendered him, making him an unrestricted free agent.
Pelletier hasn’t made his debut with the Lightning, but with the Crunch, he’s thriving. Through seven games, Pelletier has notched four goals and five assists, with a plus-1 rating. He currently leads the Crunch in points and goals. In a 5-2 win against the Hershey Bears, Pelletier had two goals and an assist.
If Pelletier keeps this pace up, the Lightning could recall him, and he could be an injection of youth Tampa Bay desperately needs right now.
AHL: Dylan Duke, F
Dylan Duke is another young talent the Lightning hope can evolve into an NHL-caliber forward. He was drafted 121st overall by Tampa Bay after a stellar career with the Michigan Wolverines. In 2023-24, Duke was on a team with NHL draftees Gavin Brindley, Rutger McGroarty, and Seamus Casey. However, Duke led the team in goals (26) and finished third in points (49). Overall, he finished with 54 goals and 46 assists in 123 games.
Duke has just one goal in the NHL level so far, but he is turning a new leaf with the Crunch this season. He’s scored one goal and added six assists for seven points through seven games. He is currently in the top 20 in assists in the AHL level.
It appears Duke could be taking a big jump from his rookie season, when he scored 20 goals, 20 assists, and 40 points through 62 games. Like Pelletier, Duke is another young forward the Lightning are looking to develop into an NHL-caliber player. Unlike Pelletier, Duke is just 22, and he has time to grow and become another late-round NHL contributor for the Lightning.
ECHL: Spencer Kersten, F
It’s hard to find a standout for the Solar Bears this season, but there’s one player who’s been tried and true for them. Spencer Kersten continues to shine for Orlando.
Kersten spent four years with Princeton University and one year at Bowling-Green University before signing with the Solar Bears in 2024. In his rookie season, Kersten shined, recording 25 goals and 30 assists for 55 points through 60 games. That earned him a spot on the 2024-25 ECHL All-Rookie team.
This year, Kersten has increased his scoring output, with three goals and three assists for six points through five games. He is on pace to record 86 points this season.
That could earn Kersten a recall to the AHL. His strong play with Orlando earned him brief stints with the Crunch and the Belleville Senators on loan. He scored one goal in nine games with the Crunch, but he could be in line for more opportunities in the AHL if he keeps up this pace.
