ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Start with Jahdae Barron's versatility.
Or perhaps the first-round pick's football IQ and ability to make game-changing plays. The fact that the Texas product plays the cornerback position, where it's hard to find elite players?
Maybe just the pure talent?
How do you explain why Head Coach Sean Payton, General Manager George Paton and the Broncos were waiting — hoping — to see if Barron would fall past at least six other clubs to reach the 20th-overall selection?
"All of the above" feels like an appropriate answer, but begin with something different — something Payton hasn't seen in nearly three decades in the NFL.
Spurred by a question referencing a Matthew McConaughey tweet and Barron's character, Payton revealed Denver's first-round selection made an unusual request as he spoke on the phone with Denver's leadership.
"For the first time — I've never had this happen, where he politely asked, 'When we're finished, could you guys put me on speaker phone?'" Payton said. "… He thanked everyone in the room for the process and talked about his mother and the journey. I've never had that happen.
"… I haven't seen any social media, but I could understand why [McConaughey and others] would feel that way."
Combine that with the on-field performance, and it adds up to a prospect that's more than just all right (all right, all right).
On the field, Barron has also made himself known as more than just another prospect. The 2024 Jim Thorpe Award winner led the SEC in both interceptions and passes defensed. He came up big in the biggest moments, recording three interceptions in two games against Georgia.
"He was pretty high up on our board," Paton said. "What we liked about him is [that] he's a playmaker. He's a football player. He's a fun watch. … We just couldn't stop watching him. Just the instincts and participation, route awareness, zone coverage, really sticking to [his] man, doesn't give up any completions. I don't think he gave up a touchdown; we kept looking. Ball skills in the run game, this guy's really good in the run game, a really good tackler, really good blitzer. He plays all over the field. This guy's got really good football intelligence.
"He just kind of fits everything we're looking for in a player. Talk about versatility, football intelligence, play-making ability. He's just going to add to a good defense. We're excited to have him."
That playmaking ability translates from outside cornerback to the slot to — at Texas — down in the box. Payton said that versatility means the Broncos won't need "to pigeonhole [Barron] into one spot or the other" — and it gives the Broncos another player at a position that has become increasingly important.
As the Broncos saw at times in 2024 as Riley Moss spent a stint of the season on injured reserve, a loss of high-caliber cornerbacks can neutralize an otherwise dangerous defense.
"Call it the last 15 years with the rules and the way the game has changed, cornerback has been a premium position," Payton said. "Then, pretty soon [with] the third receiver, the third corner. Then, pretty soon, the dime packages. More than 70 percent of your game is spent in these sub-defenses. As George alluded to, when you're short [at the position], boy, that makes it difficult. These are premium positions, and this type of player is less available than so many other positions. It's harder to find these traits and what he does than at other positions not only in the draft, [but in the] offseason."
Payton, who uses a variety of personnel groupings on offense, also spoke to the same sort of benefit Barron could provide for Denver's defense.
"So, he provides great flexibility if you want to play a third-down snap and put [CB Pat] Surtain [II] on a certain receiver, travel [Barron] to one, travel Riley — there's a lot of flexibility. 'J-Mac' [CB Ja'Quan McMillian], the four of them. It's real difficult if you're light there. It would be no different than 20 years ago if you were light at just one of the two cornerback positions.
"The value of these defensive backs in the last 10 years has really skyrocketed relative to how the game has changed."
It was that combination of talent and traits — both on the field and away from it — paired with the positional value that led Denver to add Barron to an area of strength.
"This guy was just unique for where he was on our board," Paton said. "I talked about the football player, the playmaker, but he was just too unique to pass up, and corner is a premium position."
