Inside the scouting room where George Paton and Sean Payton couldn’t take their eyes off Texas CB Jahdae Barron
As the 2025 NFL Draft approached, the Denver Broncos’ war room was buzzing with late-night tape sessions, endless evaluations, and debates over who would be the right fit for their evolving defense. But one prospect quietly rose above the rest—not because of flashy headlines or jaw-dropping combine numbers, but because the Broncos’ top decision-makers simply couldn’t stop watching him.
That player was Texas cornerback Jahdae Barron.
General manager George Paton and head coach Sean Payton are notorious for grinding through tape together during draft season. By their own account, they’ve spent so many hours side by side they’ve started to finish each other’s scouting thoughts—and occasionally drink from each other’s water bottles by mistake. But when it came to Barron, words weren’t even necessary.
“One look,” Payton joked, “and we both knew.”
At first, it was routine. They studied Barron like they did every other prospect on their board. The Broncos’ duo dove into the tape with a healthy dose of skepticism, searching for missed tackles, blown coverages, or any sign that the former Longhorns standout wasn’t as complete as he seemed. Instead, the more they watched, the deeper they fell in.
“Every time we tried to move on, we found ourselves pulling up another game,” Paton said. “We were just drawn back in.”
Former Texas secondary coach Terry Joseph, who had worked closely with Barron, had already given him glowing reviews during the pre-draft process. But the Broncos weren’t content with word of mouth. They wanted to find the flaws—and couldn’t.
The result? Denver placed Barron unusually high on their draft board. Still, they assumed someone else would snag him before pick No. 20. When he was still on the board, the decision came quickly.
“It felt like a gift,” said Payton.
While the football world may have been surprised by the pick, inside the Broncos’ facility, it was anything but. It was the result of hours of film, gut instinct, and a shared belief that Jahdae Barron could be a key piece in their defensive puzzle.
Now, with Barron officially in orange and blue, the Broncos believe they’ve landed a cornerback who not only fits their system—but might just define it in the years to come.
Leave a Reply