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Jeff LegwoldJul 16, 2025, 01:46 PM ET
- Jeff Legwold covers the Denver Broncos at ESPN. He has covered the Broncos for more than 20 years and also assists with NFL draft coverage, joining ESPN in 2013. He has been a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Board of Selectors since 1999, too. Jeff previously covered the Pittsburgh Steelers, Buffalo Bills and Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans at previous stops prior to ESPN.
With rookie cornerback Jahdae Barron reporting to training camp with other Denver Broncos rookies Wednesday after reaching agreement on a contract, Shemar Stewart remains the only unsigned first-round pick from this past April's draft.
Barron, selected at No. 20 by the Broncos, agreed to a four-year deal worth just over $18 million that included a signing bonus of $9.8 million, sources confirmed to ESPN. The Broncos privately had little concern Barron's deal would get done as the two sides had spent some time in negotiations over the payment schedule of Barron's signing bonus.
Stewart, selected at No. 17 by the Cincinnati Bengals three picks before the Broncos picked Barron, remains unsigned.
The Broncos' rookies reported for training camp Wednesday at the team's south suburban Denver complex and the team's veterans are scheduled to report next Tuesday. The only unsigned draft pick for the Broncos is running back R.J. Harvey, who like most of the second-round picks in this year's draft, has not agreed to a deal.
Barron, who played multiple positions at Texas including cornerback, nickel cornerback, safety as well as linebacker in some specialty packages, spent much of the Broncos' offseason program strictly at cornerback as coach Sean Payton said he believed that was best way to get Barron acclimated.
But he figures to be used in a variety of ways in the defense if he continues to be a quick study in the scheme.
"I think when you watch his game in college, you see a very intelligent player, you see a guy who played multiple positions in college,'' defensive coordinator Vance Joseph said in minicamp last month. "... He's a very mature, smart football player ... His ball skills, his combine workout ... The entire process was really buttoned up. He was a can't-miss prospect for us.''
"[He's] super smart, I would say that is the first thing,'' Broncos safety Brandon Jones said. "Especially from a rookie. You always ask a lot of questions as a rookie, but he asks the right questions -- very eager to learn, super athletic obviously.''
Barron played in 55 games at Texas with 37 starts. He won the Jim Thorpe Award this past season with 67 tackles, five interceptions and 11 pass break-ups. He had 11 tackles in the team's win over Arizona State during the college football playoffs.
9News in Denver first reported Barron's contract agreement.
