First Round Pick Called ‘Biggest Disappointment’ for Broncos
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Denver Broncos cornerback Jahdae Barron.
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.
Bo Nix Explains the 'Edge' J.K. Dobbins Has Brought to Broncos
When the Denver Broncos signed veteran running back J.K. Dobbins, head coach Sean Payton thought he was getting a starting-caliber ball-carrier for his offense. Payton was definitely right about that, as halfway through the season, Dobbins ranks third in the NFL in rushing, but the sixth-year back has also been a tremendous leader and tone-setter for the Broncos.
Ask Bo Nix, who's been around since before Dobbins' arrival. There's an edge present on this offense that perhaps wasn't there last year.
“Just an edge. We’re going to be a top offense. We’re going to do the right things at practice. We’re going to play over again if we haven’t done it right," Nix said on Wednesday when asked what Dobbins brings to the table. "He just has those guys playing hard for him, and he’s running the ball really well."
Dobbins is averaging north of five yards per carry, and he's already rushed for 634 yards and four touchdowns. He's on pace to obliterate his previous career-high rushing marks.
More Than a Ball-Carrier
Beyond what Dobbins does when the ball is in his hands, his leadership and mentoring of the younger players in the Broncos' running back room have been indispensable, including rookie second-rounder RJ Harvey. These are the intangible traits the Broncos didn't realize they were getting when they signed him to a
He’s doing a good job. He’s out there helping RJ with different things. He’s being a great leader, and he’s just putting his head down and he goes to work," Nix said of Dobbins.
The other aspects of Dobbins' game, including his pass protection and pass-catching acumen, come as a welcome on-field bonus to Nix, who's only been sacked eight times this season.
"He plays really hard. I know I mentioned after the [Cowboys] game, but he protects well. He protects for the pocket, he runs routes, and catches the football out of the backfield," Nix said of Dobbins. "He runs the ball hard when he gets his chance. We always knew he was a complete back, but he’s really showing that off right now.”
Dobbins is putting together an All-Pro-caliber campaign. It would help Dobbins' outlook for end-of-season accolades if Payton would scheme him up a few touchdowns inside the 5-yard line, but Dobbins was probably happy to see Harvey score three times last week vs. the Dallas Cowboys, which earned him NFL
Dobbins Wants to Retire a Bronco
Dobbins is at the midway point of his one-year deal, and he already knows that he wants to return to Denver. Heck, the 26-year-old wants to finish his NFL career with the Broncos.
Although Dobbins wants an extension for those reasons, he's not allowing himself to dwell on it right now. If he can stay healthy throughout the season, the Broncos could start thinking seriously about an extension in December sometime.
"As far as [an] extension, and stuff like that, that doesn't cross my mind. But me just wanting to be here in Denver? Yes. I hope to end my career here and be here for the rest of my time in the NFL,"
Dobbins' next matchup is a doozy vs. the Houston Texans' fifth-ranked rushing defense. However, if he can eclipse the century mark again, he'll become the first Bronco since Melvin Gordon in 2021 to post three 100-yard games in a season.
