Broncos Rookie Jahdae Barron Now 1 of Just 2 Unsigned First Rounders

The Denver Broncos have been hard at work this offseason as they look to build off of their breakout 2024 campaign. It appears the Broncos have their quarterback of the future, Bo Nix, in place; now, they have to work on building up the rest of the roster around him. One of the more important moves the team made involved them selecting Texas Longhorns cornerback Jahdae Barron with the No. 20 overall pick of the 2025 NFL Draft.

While Barron figures to be a big part of Denver’s future given they just invested a first-round pick on him, there’s one big issue; they haven’t signed him to a contract yet. After Travis Hunter signed his rookie deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars over the weekend, Barron is one of just two unsigned first-round picks, leading some to wonder whether or not there’s reason to be worried about his status with training camp quickly approaching.

Why Haven’t Broncos Signed Jahdae Barron Yet

Barron spent all five years of his collegiate career with Texas, and he slowly but surely turned himself into one of the top cornerbacks in the nation. A starter for the past three years, Barron earned All-American honors in 2024 when he racked up 67 tackles, five interceptions, 11 passes batted, and a sack over 16 games with the Longhorns.

Denver already has a pair of lockdown corners in Patrick Surtain II and Riley Moss, but they needed a nickel corner, which is the role Barron seems set to fill in 2025. The problem is that he doesn’t have a contract in place yet, and for whatever reason, there seems to be very little progress being made towards a deal, which is worrying with just him and Shemar Stewart of the Cincinnati Bengals being the only two first-rounders to have not put pen to paper.

While Stewart has publicly taken shots at the Bengals front office and left mandatory minicamp early, Barron has been a model citizen for the Broncos to this point. So what gives? Why haven’t the Broncos signed him to his deal yet? That’s the question folks are beginning to wonder, with Sayre Bedinger of Predominantly Orange perfectly explaining why this is quickly becoming an issue that should pop up on the radars of Broncos fans.

“We’re closing in on the end of the month of June, and the 20th overall pick still doesn’t have his pre-fixed deal signed,” Bedinger wrote. “There are details of rookie contracts that have to be ironed out in each individual case, but every pick has a slotted contract number per the agreement between the NFL and NFLPA Collective Bargaining Agreement. Thus, any sort of contract disputes are going to raise eyebrows around the league.”

Jahdae Barron, Broncos Still Have Time to Figure Out Contract Situation

GettyJahdae Barron #7 of the Texas Longhorns reacts after breaking up a pass against the Clemson Tigers in the Playoff First Round Game.

A quick look around the league will show that things could be worse for Denver, as they could be in the sort of situation Cincinnati is facing with Stewart. At the end of the day, though, the Broncos find themselves in the same predicament, as they are trying to find a way to resolve whatever differences they have with Barron so that he will put pen to paper.

The good news is that it’s still only June, meaning the two sides have time to work out whatever issues they are facing. But the longer this goes on for, the more reason fans will have to be concerned. Things aren’t exactly worth panicking over just yet, but this situation will be worth monitoring as training camp draws near.