Could the Jahdae Barron Pick Spark CB Draft-Day Trades for Broncos?

Two Denver Broncos cornerbacks might not have slept too well after Jahdae Barron was drafted in the first round.

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - AUGUST 11: Denver Broncos Cornerback Damarri Mathis (27) defends during the NFL, American Football Herren, USA Preseason game between the Denver Broncos and the Indianapolis Colts on August 11, 2024, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana. | Michael Alli / IMAGO / Icon Sportswire

Many were no doubt surprised that the Denver Broncos selected Texas cornerback Jahdae Barron with the 20th overall pick of the 2025 NFL draft. After all, cornerback wasn’t a pressing need.

The Broncos have an elite cornerback in Patrick Surtain II, a quality No. 2 corner in Riley Moss, and a solid slot in Ja’Quan McMillian. However, it appears the Broncos never expected Barron would be there at No. 20 and decided he was too good to pass up.

So what does this mean for the cornerbacks currently on the roster?

During the Denver Broncos On SI/Mile High Huddle live stream of the first round of the draft, our own Erick Trickel mentioned that McMillian could become the subject of trade talks. McMillian was an exclusive rights free agent whom the Broncos tendered this offseason.

McMillian recently signed his tender, which is for $1.03 million. His low salary would make him a desirable player for teams in need of cornerback help.

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Another cornerback to keep an eye on, though, is Damarri Mathis. A 2022 fourth-round pick and a starter in his rookie season, Mathis failed to build upon his play in 2023 and lost his starting job.

But because Mathis logged so many snaps as a rookie, he earned proven performance escalators that pushed his 2025 salary up to a little more than $3.4M.

That’s a lot of money to pay for a depth player, and the Broncos may decide it’s best to part ways with Mathis. But because he has starting experience, he could also become the subject of trade talks.

Both McMillian and Mathis have fewer than four accrued seasons in the NFL, so they would have to go through the waiver wire. A team that is low on the waiver priority list might be willing to acquire either cornerback through a trade.

Furthermore, such a trade could happen during the NFL draft. If the Broncos, for example, want to move up in the second round, they could include either McMillian or Mathis as part of a trade package.

Given that the Broncos need a running back and that they have been linked to players like Ohio State running back TreVeyon Henderson — who could potentially go off the board early in the second round — they could include either McMillian or Mathis in a package instead of a draft pick.

Neither player is likely to command a high draft pick in return if a trade were a player-for-pick swap, but it could mean fewer picks the Broncos would have to relinquish to make a move up in the second round.

We’ll find out later today if the Broncos do try to trade up in the second round, but it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Broncos do trade a cornerback such as McMillan or Mathis. The selection of Barron in the first round would make it possible for them to move one of the two without hurting the depth chart.

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