ENGLEWOOD — Jahdae Barron is prioritizing his mental health this offseason.
The rookie Broncos cornerback, selected No. 20 overall in the NFL draft, spoke with reporters Monday during locker clean-out day at Broncos Park.
“For the next few months, honestly, it’s just all about my mental health,” Barron said. “I’m just enjoying time with my family. My sisters. Just kind of being engaged with myself. Just learning. Trying to be a better man.”
The first NFL season for the former University of Texas standout was a mixed bag.
Barron played a variety of roles in the secondary as an excellent open-field tackler with 35 stops. He started five games. Barron logged five pass deflections and his first career interception in Week 8 against the Cowboys. He also recovered a fumble in Week 1 against the Titans.
Barron’s playing time fluctuated throughout the year. He appeared on 30% of defensive snaps (334) and 19% of all special teams snaps (91). Barron proved unable to take the starting nickel cornerback role from Ja’Quan McMillian. The first-round pick developed mostly behind the scenes while playing in a stacked secondary.
“The day I got drafted, I told you guys I’m just staying committed to the process. I’m not being attached to the results,” Barron said. “It’s that growth. You’ve got to just keep pushing for growth. I’m just trying to pursue self-growth. I’m just trying to keep going. … There’s going to come a time and place when it’s going to be amazing. So, you’ve got to keep going.”
McMillian spoke highly of Barron during locker clean-out day at Broncos Park.
“He had a lot of growth,” McMillian said. “VJ’s defense is not the easiest to learn, and they had him playing multiple positions, so that was another thing that was kind of hard on him. But as far as getting better? I’ve seen him getting better each and every week. I tell him that. I make sure he knows that. … He was a great add to the team and he’s going to keep getting better. He’s going to be here to stay. He’s going to be making plays for us next year.”
Barron has plenty of lessons from his first NFL season.
“Just making the most of any opportunity that you do get,” Barron said. “Making it count and just learning from the older guys and just learning ball. You can always learn. You always like to learn from vets even if you are older than somebody. So just taking it all in and just making the most of my opportunities.”