Report: Broncos First-Round CB Jahdae Barron Changes Jersey Number

The No. 12 seemed to be a placeholder for the Denver Broncos' first-round draft pick.

August 9, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; Denver Broncos cornerback Jahdae Barron (12) before the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium. | Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

For the past three months, Denver Broncos' first-round cornerback Jahdae Barron has been wearing the No. 12 jersey number that was assigned to him at rookie minicamp. However, with the Broncos' roster getting shuffled earlier this week with the final cut-downs, a few options opened up.

It would seem that Barron will now be rocking the jersey No. 23, which had been held previously by former Broncos running back Audric Estime. NFL Jersey Numbers on X reports that Barron has moved to the No. 23, but the Broncos haven't confirmed the number change yet, so file this under the rumor mill with a high probability of being true.

Denver Broncos DB Jahdae Barron (@barron_jahdae) is wearing number 23. Last assigned to Audric Estime. #BroncosCountry pic.twitter.com/uyfjYzxnhV

— NFL Jersey Numbers (@nfl_jersey_num) August 30, 2025

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No. 12 Not Long for the World

A few noteworthy Broncos cornerbacks to wear the No. 23 in recent years include Michael Ojemudia, Kyle Fuller, Quentin Jammer, and Ronald Darby. And it's only one digit away from greatness — Hall-of-Famer Champ Bailey famously sported the No. 24. Barron will look good in No. 23.

Back in May, Barron's comments forecasted a future number change, when he was asked about why he was wearing the No. 12.

“It’s just for right now, but I’m enjoying it. If it’s [No.] 12, it’s [No.] 12 and I’ll wear it with a lot of pride," Barron said on May 10.

Barron Stock Report

Barron acquitted himself well in training camp, though perhaps not as well as some prognosticators predicted. The Broncos' starting cornerback trio appears to still be Patrick Surtain II and Riley Moss on the boundary, with Ja'Quan McMillian in the slot.

The Broncos kept five cornerbacks on the 53-man roster, including the aforementioned trio, Barron, and Kris Abrams-Draine. Barron will likely be the fourth corner in the rotation, but the Broncos view him strictly as a cornerback, and specifically, as a nickel.

For now, McMillian seems to have the nickel still sewn up, but it wouldn't be a surprise to see the Broncos steadily work Barron into the mix, rotating him in for a few snaps with the first-team defense here and there. Barron proved at the University of Texas that he can thrive on the boundary as well as he can inside, finishing his final year as the Jim Thorpe Award winner, the accolade handed to the nation's top defensive back.

The Vision

Aug 9, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; Denver Broncos inside linebacker Karene Reid (47) and safety Drew Sanders (42) and cornerback Kris Abrams–Draine (31) and cornerback Joshua Pickett (39) and cornerback Jahdae Barron (12) celebrate an interception, that was later nullified, in the third quarter against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium. | David Gonzales-Imagn Images

In a pinch, the Broncos could play Barron on the outside, but head coach Sean Payton and defensive coordinator Vance Joseph have stated that the "vision" for the rookie is clear, and that's at the nickel. It just so happens that the Broncos have one of the NFL's better nickels in McMillian, who might be coming off somewhat of a down year, but competed hard to retain his spot in training camp, and made some big plays in the preseason, including an interception.

“Our vision, I think, with Jahdae is nickel with corner flex. So it’s pretty valuable if you can play outside, you can play inside," Payton said earlier this month. "He’s very smart."

In the Broncos' second preseason game vs. the Arizona Cardinals, Barron showed out well, especially as a run defender, knifing through the muss to make tackles on the boundary, one of which was a for a loss. He showed his physicality and nose for the ball in coverage, relinquishing two catches, but hitting the receiver hard and wrapping him up. Two catches allowed for nine yards, but zero yards after the catch.

The Broncos' Jahdae Barron is going to be a problem...
-- pic.twitter.com/3rLyrvK6V9

— Cody Alexander (@The_Coach_A) August 21, 2025

"As the game went on last week, he really got involved and made some really good plays," Payton said of Barron's performance vs. the Cardinals. "The vision for him is, he has that ability to play inside, but also flex outside. His size is plenty big enough, and his speed and physicality. Those are all things that help him at that position.”

Hopefully, not too many fans went out and bought No. 12 Barron jerseys. It's looking like the No. 23 is going to be his NFL number for the foreseeable future.

With the regular-season opener approaching, we could see more Broncos than just Barron opting to switch to a jersey number that wasn't available during the summer. We will, of course, keep you posted.