The do-it-all corner from Texas
The cornerback class in the 2025 NFL Draft isn’t particularly highly regarded. That could be due to the fact that three of the top prospects are dealing with injuries and have been forced out of the public eye.
Whatever the reason, the perception that the cornerback class is weak belies a number of talented and versatile defensive backs in this year’s class.
Texas DB Jahdae Barron lacks ideal measurables, but was all over the field for the Longhorns’ defense. He played just about every conceivable role for a defensive back, and played them all well.
The New York Giants aren’t likely to be in a position to draft Barron, and they might not even have room in their secondary for him. However, he could still land with a division rival, and the Giants should be prepared for the possibility.
Prospect: Jahdae Barron (7)
Games Watched: vs. Michigan (2024), vs. Oklahoma (2024), vs. Georgia (2024), vs. Texas A&M (2024)
Red Flags: Knee (2021), Ankle (2023, 2024)
Measurables
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25958613/Jahdae_barron_ras.png)
Kent Lee Platte | RAS.football
Strengths
Best traits
- Awareness
- Versatility
- Football IQ
- Athleticism
Jahdae Barron is an athletic, versatile, tenacious, and smart defensive back prospect.
Barron was used all over the Longhorns’ secondary, lining up at outside corner, slot, and safety, as well as being used in Man, Zone, and pattern matching concepts. He executed everything he was asked to do well, and was an asset in both pass coverage and run defense.
His ability and versatility both stem from his football IQ. Barron is a very smart player who shows a good understanding of both the entirety of the Texas defense as well as the offensive concepts being used to attack it. He understands how to avoid schemed traffic and also how routes work together within the greater concept. Barron is an active communicator in the pre and post-snap phases, and also diagnoses the offense quickly.
Barron has fantastic awareness in coverage as well as a great downhill trigger and closing burst. He commits hard and fast, then flies to the ball. That combination of awareness, processing, and the athleticism to act on it allows him to be very disruptive. Barron showed great ball skills in 2024, with 5 interceptions and another 11 passes defensed.
Finally, he’s physical and aggressive when taking on blockers in run defense, as well as a tenacious tackler. He might not be the hardest hitter, but he doesn’t shy away from the physical side of the game and does what he has to in order to get the ball carrier on the ground.
Weaknesses
Worst traits
- Height and length
The biggest concern in Barron’s profile is his lack of height and length. It’s difficult to say that he’s undersized at 194 pounds, and he has a thick lower half. However, he is definitely short at 5-foot-10 ¾ inches with 29 ⅝ inch arms.
That lack of length can limit how he’s viewed by the NFL and whether they believe that he has upside in man coverage. Barron has very good ball skills, but he has a relatively small catch-denial radius, and bigger receivers could overcome his jams or make plays over him.
Teams will want to do their due diligence with respect to the injuries that Barron has suffered over the last couple years. He lost three games to a knee injury in 2021, and has been nagged by ankle injuries in 2023 and 2024. The NFL will need to determine whether there’s any long-term concern with respect to those joints.
Game Tape
(Barron is the Texas cornerback wearing number 7 with long pants and a white sleeve on his right arm.)
Projection
Jahdae Barron projects as a starting defensive back at the NFL level.
Where, exactly, he plays could depend on the scheme into which he’s drafted. Some teams could disregard his length concerns and view him as an outside corner, while others could view him as a high-upside slot corner. Others still may view him as a free safety who comes down in coverage rotations.
Barron might best be employed by an aggressive defense as a “Tyrann Mathieu” type defender who roams the secondary and plays a different role on every snap. That could force offenses to constantly track him, while also allowing him to make use of his awareness and closing burst to create game-changing plays.
Does he fit the Giants?
Yes, though value is unlikely to align.
Final Word: A late first or early second round talent.
