George Paton and Sean Payton watch a lot of tape together in the lead up to the NFL draft.
Like, a whole lot.
So much that last week, Payton joked about how he accidentally drank from Paton’s water bottle.
Sometimes, all they have to do is give each other a look. No reason to let anybody else in on the secret when they find a guy.
That’s what happened recently when the pair watched Texas cornerback Jahdae Barron.
They looked for missed tackles. They looked for completions allowed, to say nothing of touchdowns. They looked for weaknesses that could poke a hole in all of the positive reviews they’d got from former Longhorns secondary coach Terry Joseph or many others they talked to through the pre-draft process.
Instead, they found themselves watching more and more and more.
“He’s a fun watch,” Paton said Thursday night after Denver selected the 2024 Jim Thorpe Award winner. “I did him during the season and after the season. Then Sean and I watched him last week and we just couldn’t stop watching him.”
The tape spoke for itself.
“One of the things that was apparent when we studied him and one of the things that was attractive about the player was his versatility,” Payton said. “… His football IQ is outstanding.”
They had Barron high on their draft board, but didn’t expect him to be around at No. 20. Then recently, watching in a room with a bunch of other people, Payton and Paton gave each other the look.
“We’d had the watch and we were in a room of eight, maybe, some of the scouts. I can’t recall,” Payton said. “But we just looked at each other and we’re like ‘OK.’ And then let’s keep watching more. And the more and more we watched it was like, ‘Alright. Let’s be quiet.’”
Don’t let the cat out of the bag.
Then Thursday night they waited and waited and Barron came right to them.
Want more Broncos news? Sign up for the Broncos Insider to get all our NFL analysis.
Related Posts:
- Texas CB Jahdae Barron selected by Broncos with 20th overall pick in NFL draft News The Broncos couldn’t pass up the crystal. Denver on Thursday night selected Texas cornerback Jahdae Barron at No. 20 overall, adding a playmaking defender to an already strong secondary and bypassing offensive skill options in the process. Head coach Sean Payton previewed the potential line of thinking last week during…
- Broncos draft Jahdae Barron: Here’s how the national media graded the pick News The Broncos beefed up their secondary on Thursday, selecting Texas cornerback Jahdae Barron with the No. 20 overall pick in the NFL draft. Barron joins a cornerback corps that includes Riley Moss and reigning NFL defensive player of the year Pat Surtain II. RELATED: 2025 NFL draft tracker: Picks, instant…
- Broncos analysis: CB Jahdae Barron adds versatility and intrigue to Denver secondary long-term News Jahdae Barron lamented missing a chance to connect with Pat Surtain II in recent days. The University of Texas cornerback had been playing phone tag with the Broncos’ reigning defensive player of the year and All-Pro cornerback in the leadup to the NFL draft, put in contact by a financial…
- We couldn’t stop eating these dishes News By Margaux Laskey, The New York Times One of the greatest perks of working for New York Times Cooking is that once in a while, I get to spend time in our gorgeous, light-filled studio working with our wildly talented, kind and funny food stylists, photo editors and photographers. (Pinch…
- Renck: Sean Payton sends shock waves in draft, becoming a Land Barron News Sean Payton did it. Can you believe it? As predicted, he sent tremors through the NFL draft with a shocking move. The most aggressive coach in the league, a man who called an onside kick in the Super Bowl and a fake punt in last January’s playoff game, made one…
(Visited 1 times, 1 visits today)