Denver Broncos sign 1st-round pick Jahdae Barron as 2025 training camp opens. See details on his contract and how he fits with Patrick Surtain II and Bo Nix.
StatPro NFL Beat Reporter
Just in the nick of time. As rookies reported to Centura Health Training Center today, the Denver Broncos locked up the final piece of their draft class, signing first-round cornerback Jahdae Barron to his four-year rookie contract. The move erases any lingering contract drama and allows the team to enter the 2025 campaign with a singular focus: building on last year's playoff run.
A four-year contract worth $18.05 million, including a $9.8 million signing bonus, for first-round pick Jahdae Barron.
Relief swept through Broncos Country on Wednesday as the team announced the signing of their top draft pick, Jahdae Barron. The 20th overall selection agreed to a four-year, $18.05 million deal, complete with a hefty $9.8 million signing bonus. With the deal done, Barron is set to slide into the starting nickel cornerback role, lining up between stars Patrick Surtain II and Riley Moss. The signing not only solidifies a key defensive position but also allows the Broncos to avoid the kind of holdout drama currently plaguing the Cincinnati Bengals, who now stand alone with an unsigned first-rounder as camps open league-wide.
The Barron signing sets a positive tone as camp begins, and the expectations are palpable. After Bo Nix led the team to its first postseason appearance since Super Bowl 50, the standard has been raised. Tight end Adam Trautman captured the mood this week, expressing confidence in the team's direction and his readiness to shoulder a bigger role. All eyes will be on Nix in his second year, as he looks to take the next step from promising rookie to established franchise quarterback, leading a team that now expects to win.
While the optimism is high, the Broncos' Super Bowl aspirations hinge on a significant gamble: the health of their key offseason acquisitions. The defense was rebuilt around linebacker Dre Greenlaw and safety Talanoa Hufanga, two dynamic playmakers with concerning injury histories. Greenlaw is recovering from a torn Achilles and a more recent quad injury, while Hufanga is coming back from a torn ACL that limited him to just seven games last year. The same concern applies to new tight end Evan Engram, who missed most of 2024 with a torn labrum. If this trio can stay on the field, the Broncos' roster looks formidable. If not, the team's depth will be tested early and often.
With rookies now in the building and the Barron contract settled, the preseason narrative is set. Can Bo Nix make the sophomore leap? And, perhaps more importantly, can the high-impact, high-risk additions stay healthy enough to transform this team from a playoff participant into a true contender? The answers will begin to unfold on the practice fields over the next few weeks, starting with the veterans' arrival on July 22. The journey has begun.
