In the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, the Denver Broncos selected defensive back Jahdae Barron. Though cornerback was not considered to be a position of need in the first round, the Broncos determined that the winner of the Jim Thorpe Award (given to the nation’s best defensive back) was too good to pass up. 

Following the selection, speculation began immediately. Would the Broncos place Ja’Quan McMillian on the trade block? Would Barron go to the outside and Riley Moss to the slot? 

In the end, what happened was what happens with many rookies under Sean Payton… they don’t play much. 

That was the case for Barron as both McMillian and Moss proved to be key pieces of the Denver defense. Barron played on just 29.7 percent of the Broncos’ defensive snaps. 

He struggled when he was out there, but there is still plenty of hope that he will rebound and use the experience to his advantage before becoming a big part of the team. However, Blake Brockermeyer of CBS Sports posted a redo of the 2025 draft and with the benefit of hindsight, he has the Broncos going a different route. 

Broncos select Malaki Starks in 2025 NFL Draft redo

With the No. 20 overall pick, the Broncos still add a player to the secondary, but they opt for a safety over a cornerback, selecting Malaki Starks out of Georgia. 

“Malaki Starks finished with two interceptions and flashed the football IQ he showed at Georgia. Jahdae Barron has a bright future, but Starks gets the nod with the reps he logged in Baltimore”, wrote Brockeymeyer. 

Starks went seven picks after Barron to the Baltimore Ravens. He completed his rookie season with 84 tackles and two interceptions. But with the Broncos already having Brandon Jones and Talanoa Hufanga on the roster, selecting Starks in the first round would have been even more confusing than the Barron selection. 

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What could be most troubling is that Brockermeyer does not have Barron going in the first round of his redo draft despite stating he has a “bright future”. It’s far too early for anyone to be throwing around the “bust” term when it comes to Barron, but because of his lack of progression during his rookie season, there will be many fans within Broncos Country wondering if the team wasted a pick. 

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