Broncos add cornerback Jahdae Barron of Texas to team up with star Pat Surtain II

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Patrick Surtain II has a new partner in the defensive backfield, with the Denver Broncos selecting Texas cornerback Jahdae Barron with the 20th overall pick in the NFL draft on Thursday night.

“We weren’t expecting him to be there,” general manager George Paton said. “He was pretty high up on our board. What we liked about him is he’s a playmaker, he’s a football player, he’s a fun watch.”

Coach Sean Payton praised Barron’s skills and football IQ and said another thing that impressed him was this: After Barron spoke with team owner Greg Penner following his selection, he asked to be put on speaker phone so he could thank everyone in the organization.

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“And I’ve never had that happen,” Payton said.

A ballhawk and sure tackler for the Longhorns, Barron lined up outside, in the slot and in the box as a dime linebacker, and his versatility is expected to allow him to make an impact as a rookie.

Barron has elite speed, running the 40-yard dash in 4.39 seconds at the NFL scouting combine, and he won the Jim Thorpe Award in 2024 after picking off five passes and breaking up 11 more.

In Denver he’ll team up with Surtain, the Broncos’ 2021 first-round pick who is coming off his best season — he was honored as the NFL’s defensive player of the year — and rising third-year cornerback Riley Moss.

“I bring a lot of versatility to the defense,” Barron said. “I’m going to learn from the vets. I can’t wait to learn from Patrick Surtain. I can’t wait to learn from (Denver defensive coordinator Vance) Joseph. I mean, it’s going to be amazing.”

The Broncos could even give the 5-foot-11, 194-pound Barron a look at safety. If so, he’s certain he’d fare well.

“Oh, definitely,” Barron said. “It would be a tremendous thing for me, just learning from those vets there.”

Barron said he was recently introduced to Surtain through his financial advisor but hadn’t had time to return Surtain’s message in the leadup to the draft.

“So, he’s probably going to make me carry his pads for not hitting him back,” Barron said with a laugh.

For the first time in a decade, the Broncos didn’t have to spend their draft preparation poring over quarterback prospects. Bo Nix’s successful rookie season in 2024 allowed Payton and Paton to focus their energies elsewhere.

The Broncos got off to a good start with their roster reshaping in free agency, signing safety Talanoa Hufanga and linebacker Dre Greenlaw from the San Francisco 49ers and adding tight end Evan Engram from Jacksonville and special teams ace Trent Sherfield from Detroit.

That allowed them to focus on adding the best player on their board, which they did in Barron.

“I can do a lot of things once I learn and soak it in, soak the game in and understand it,” Barron said. “But I’m very smart and I’m willing to do whatever to contribute and make myself a value and a key piece.

“And again, I can’t wait to learn from Patrick Surtain, to be a part of the DB culture and the things that he’s doing and the things that they got going on down there.”

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