Denver Broncos Coach Sean Payton Sings Praises of Jahdae Barron

Texas Longhorns football fans have long known that cornerback Jahdae Barron would be a force to reckon with on a professional gridiron.

All that Barron had to do was make sure that his talent transferred over to the pros, and according to a recent minicamp report from Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton, he's done a pretty solid job.

The reigning Jim Thorpe Award winner was selected by Payton and Co. with the 20th overall pick in the very first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, after a stellar Texas career that also saw him awarded a consensus All-American selection in 2024, and Barron also sealed Texas' second College Football Playoff game against Arizona State with an interception in overtime to keep the Longhorns in the hunt.

Texas Longhorns defensive back Jahdae Barron (7) against the Clemson Tigers during the CFP National playoff first round. — Dec 21, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns defensive back Jahdae Barron (7) against the Clemson Tigers during the CFP National playoff first round at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

As he weaves his way through rookie minicamp, Sean Payton has made it clear that he is confident in the player he selected in the first round last month.

"I would say that he is exactly what we saw on tape, smart and savvy," Payton said, via Denver Broncos On SI. "If you're watching closely, some people transition and then they stop very quickly. He has a really quick twitch. I'd say that he's sticky in coverage."

When it comes to top NFL coaches to start under, not too many are above Sean Payton, who led the New Orleans Saints along with quarterback Drew Brees to a highly entertaining Super Bowl championship in 2010 when they defeated Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts. After 15 years in the Big Easy, Payton would take a year off from coaching, before signing with the Broncos as their head coach before the 2023 season.

Barron himself has been quite the sponge for knowledge this weekend in rookie minicamp, going through the necessary adjustments to go from All-American to potential All-Pro.

"I'm just adjusting. I'm trying to learn the play schemes, the concepts that the offense is running right now at this level," Barron said Saturday. "It's a lot of different motions and a lot of different shifts, so I'm just adjusting it and putting it into my game."

And just as Payton is confident in his new defensive back, Barron has seemed to enjoy being in the Mile High City, as well as back on the gridiron in general.

"It's fun just to be out here. Last time I put on a helmet was so long ago, so I'm just enjoying the process," Barron said. "I'm just learning information, taking information in from all my coaches, I'm just blessed, truly blessed."

The Denver Broncos bounced back last year in the 2024 season with a 10-7 record that earned them a playoff berth. With Barron in the secondary and the leadership of head coach Payton and quarterback Bo Nix, the team will look to kick it up a notch in 2025 and really shock the football world.