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The Denver Broncos were widely expected by fans and pundits alike to take an offensive skill piece with their first pick in the NFL draft on Thursday night.
Instead of landing a player like UNC's standout running back, Omarion Hampton; who ended up going shortly after to the Los Angeles Chargers at #22 overall, the Broncos decided to take Texas cornerback Jahdae Barron.
Many believed that Barron would be long gone by the time the Broncos' pick rolled around at #20. However, with teams teams in the top 20 putting a premium on both the offensive and defensive line, Barron managed to find his way to Colorado.
Indeed, it was not just a shock to general manager, George Paton, who echoed surprise at Barron's draft night drop. Pro Football Focus' Mason Cameron called Denver's selection one of the top five "steals" of the NFL draft.
"Denver opts to build upon a strength, pairing one of the best cornerbacks in college football," Cameron writes, "Barron, with the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, Pat Surtain II. The versatile coverage defender — the highest-graded cornerback in college football last season (91.1) with at least 400 coverage snaps — is a natural zone defender with incredible instincts and can slot in at any position in the secondary.
John Gutierrez / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Barron is certainly an upgrade at outside cornerback; the only real area of the Broncos' defense that needed some bolstering; but questions will rise as to whether the team would have been better placed to invest early on in the infrastructure around franchise QB, Bo Nix.
But with two picks coming up in day two, and some good receivers, backs and tight ends still very much on the board, it is more than likely we shall see Payton set the stage for helping his young quarterback on Friday and Saturday.
Continue reading...
Instead of landing a player like UNC's standout running back, Omarion Hampton; who ended up going shortly after to the Los Angeles Chargers at #22 overall, the Broncos decided to take Texas cornerback Jahdae Barron.
Many believed that Barron would be long gone by the time the Broncos' pick rolled around at #20. However, with teams teams in the top 20 putting a premium on both the offensive and defensive line, Barron managed to find his way to Colorado.
Indeed, it was not just a shock to general manager, George Paton, who echoed surprise at Barron's draft night drop. Pro Football Focus' Mason Cameron called Denver's selection one of the top five "steals" of the NFL draft.
"Denver opts to build upon a strength, pairing one of the best cornerbacks in college football," Cameron writes, "Barron, with the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, Pat Surtain II. The versatile coverage defender — the highest-graded cornerback in college football last season (91.1) with at least 400 coverage snaps — is a natural zone defender with incredible instincts and can slot in at any position in the secondary.
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John Gutierrez / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Barron is certainly an upgrade at outside cornerback; the only real area of the Broncos' defense that needed some bolstering; but questions will rise as to whether the team would have been better placed to invest early on in the infrastructure around franchise QB, Bo Nix.
But with two picks coming up in day two, and some good receivers, backs and tight ends still very much on the board, it is more than likely we shall see Payton set the stage for helping his young quarterback on Friday and Saturday.
Continue reading...
