Jahdae Barron CB Texas | NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
Jahdae Barron CB Texas
NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
ROLE: Dual-Role Zone CB | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Last Updated: 01/10/2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Draft Year: 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
40 time: 4.45 seconds (68%*) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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ROLE: Dual-Role Zone CB | |
Last Updated: 01/10/2025 | |
Draft Year: 2025 | |
40 time: 4.45 seconds (68%*) | |
SHARE THIS PROFILE:
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Overall Rating: | 89.0 / 100 | |
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Average rating of opposition Offense player has faced | ||
Offense Rating: |
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80% |
Click the links below to view how player ranks vs other prospects. | ||
QB Rating When targeted: | 50.3 | |
Tackling: |
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93% |
Run Defense: |
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93% |
Coverage: |
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100% |
Zone: |
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90% |
Man/Press: |
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99% |
DRAFT PROJECTION:
1st - Mid
Overall Rank:
#14
Position rank:
#3
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College Games: 53 College Snaps: 2484 | ||
College Combine Results
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Player Comparison* (Similarity level) | ||
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Roger McCreary - Auburn |
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90% |
Kool-Aid McKinstry - Alabama |
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83% |
Trent McDuffie - Washington |
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81% |
Draft Profile: Bio
Born into the football hotbed of Texas, Jahdae Barron's journey from Pflugerville to becoming the Jim Thorpe Award winner is a testament to his relentless development. After earning all-state honors at Connally High School, Barron arrived in Austin as a four-star recruit and steadily climbed the depth chart through sheer determination and versatility. His breakthrough 2022 campaign, highlighted by a pick-six against UTSA and a 48-yard fumble return touchdown versus TCU, showcased his playmaking instincts that would later become his calling card.The 2023 season saw Barron emerge as one of college football's most complete defensive backs, earning Second-Team All-Big 12 honors while demonstrating the versatility to play multiple positions in the secondary. His senior year in 2024 was nothing short of spectacular – leading the SEC with five interceptions, including a momentum-shifting two-pick performance against Georgia, and ultimately claiming the Jim Thorpe Award as the nation's top defensive back.
Standing 5'11" and weighing 200 pounds, Barron's frame belies his physical playing style. His progression from special teams contributor to defensive cornerstone mirrors his development from raw athlete to polished technician. His 51 career games, including 38 starts, provided the perfect laboratory for honing his craft against elite competition in both the Big 12 and SEC.
Scouting Report: Strengths
- Elite plant-and-drive ability when breaking on underneath routes – consistently beats receivers to the catch point and disrupts timing with precise angles
- Processes route distributions at an exceptional level – identifies stem breaks early and maintains leverage against switch releases and rub concepts
- Demonstrates advanced pattern match principles in quarters coverage – seamlessly trades off vertical routes while maintaining spatial discipline
- Remarkable click-and-close burst shows up in both run support and coverage – covers ground explosively when triggering downhill
- Exhibits plus man coverage technique from press alignment – patient at the line with efficient footwork and minimal wasted motion
- Premium ball skills translate across multiple defensive roles – tracks deep balls effectively and finishes with strong hands at the catch point
- Brings controlled physicality in run support – takes proper angles to the football while maintaining outside leverage against pulling linemen
- Core special teams contributor with proven gunner experience – demonstrates consistent ability to defeat double-team blocks in space
Scouting Report: Weaknesses
- Can get caught transitioning against sudden breaks – noticed particular vulnerability against pivot routes when playing off coverage
- Frame limitations become evident against bigger receivers – struggles to disengage from physical blocking on the perimeter
- Build-up speed creates occasional cushion issues – has to respect vertical threats which can open up intermediate throwing windows
- Shows some transition stiffness when flipping hips – takes extra steps to accelerate when matched against double moves
- Occasional overpursuit angles in space – aggressive mentality can work against him when facing elusive ball carriers in the open field
Scouting Report: Summary
Barron enters the draft as one of the most intriguing defensive backs in this class, with the film showing a defender who can transform a secondary's versatility overnight. His rare combination of explosive short-area quickness and advanced pattern-matching skills makes him a prime target for coordinators running complex coverage schemes. Watch the Texas-Georgia tape and you'll see a defensive back who can match up in the slot, rotate to deep safety, and trigger against the run – all in the same series.Modern NFL defenses live in sub-packages, and that's where Barron's value truly shines. He's built for the slot but plays bigger than his frame suggests, allowing defensive play-callers to disguise coverages through his alignment. His background as a special teams ace adds day-one value, but make no mistake – this is a three-down defender who could become one of the league's premier matchup weapons. The flashes of brilliance against elite SEC competition hint at his ceiling.
Barron should hear his name called in the first round, likely to a team with an established defensive infrastructure that can maximize his versatility immediately. Think Baltimore, San Francisco, or Buffalo – sophisticated defenses that value defensive backs who can process quickly and play physically. While he might start his career primarily in nickel packages, his rapid development curve at Texas suggests he'll quickly grow into an every-down impact player.
Written By:
Eli Cooper (Big 12)
How other scouting services rate Jahdae Barron (Overall Rank)
All Scouts AverageOverall Rank
46.8
All Scouts AveragePosition Rank
8.0
*Percentile Ranking in Player's Position Group (NFL Combine Historical Data): This percentile reflects how a player's specific statistics rank
in comparison to historical performances at the NFL Combine, specifically within their position group. A higher percentile indicates a better performance.
For instance, being in the 90th percentile for a particular stat means the player outperformed 90% of their peers in that category.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.