When the Las Vegas Raiders relocated to Nevada, the Denver Broncos didn't beat them for four straight years. The tables have now turned in a dramatic way, with the Raiders earning the No. 1 pick last season, and the Broncos the No. 1 seed in the AFC. Life comes at you fast in the NFL.
But the Raiders are seemingly trending in the right direction this offseason. Even if their case to win the AFC West is paper-thin, Las Vegas is making up ground and still has a few things that it can hold over its rival's head. Like the Broncos' selection of Jahdae Barron in the first round of last year's draft.
Denver fans weren't happy with the pick at the time, and it didn't help that Barron had a quiet, perhaps downright rough, rookie season. A lot of players seemingly grow or turn the corner in Year 2, though, but that doesn't seem to be the case in the early going at Broncos training camp.
Barron may be inching toward bust territory, which should be music to Raider Nation's ears.
Raiders fans should revel in Broncos' Jahdae Barron looking more and more like a bust
After the first week of training camp in Denver, Sayre Bedinger of Predominantly Orange, FanSided's dedicated Broncos page, listed some of the team's winners and losers. Barron, of course, found himself with the "loser" distinction.
"Barron has yet to make any notable good plays during the first week of training camp. The former 1st-round pick has received praise from his teammates, but there hasn't been a single noteworthy play shared by those observing practice regularly.
"He's not even remotely competing for a starting job. That could be viewed as more of a good thing in Riley Moss's favor, but Barron also isn't rotating for reps with Ja'Quan McMillian in the slot.
"For a first-round pick to have this kind of blockade in front of him for playing time entering his second season would be concerning if the Broncos didn't have great players in those slots. And it might still be slightly concerning anyway. Barron needs some positive press ASAP."
That is not ideal for a player who was drafted so highly and seen as a bit of a gamble anyway. While Bedinger is correct that the Broncos do have a very good secondary, Moss isn't exactly a shutdown corner. He gave up 70 catches for 871 yards and 7 scores last year while being penalized 12 times.
If Barron can't even replace Moss, then Las Vegas should celebrate that. And it sounds like those who cover the team in Denver are already starting to show some serious buyer's remorse. Predominantly Orange's Josh Crysler also wrote a column about why the Barron pick now looks "questionable."
To Crysler, even worse than Barron struggling as a rookie and into his second year is Denver passing on several available players who could have actually impacted the Broncos in a win-now window, like running back Omarion Hamption or linebackers Jihaad Campbell or Carson Schwesinger.
Based on what the coaching staff and front office saw from Barron as a rookie, it is no wonder that the Broncos traded away their 2026 first-round pick for Jaylen Waddle this offseason. If things keep up like this, Denver will have effectively failed to add a young first-round talent for two straight years.
Yes, the Broncos are a very good football team, but they are not without flaws. And Sean Payton and George Paton displayed some hubris last spring when making a luxury pick on Barron, when instead, they needed to address other spots. That could soon come back to bite them.
Does any of this mean that the Raiders will take down the Broncos and run through the AFC West? No. But every big decision, like a first-round pick, matters. Just ask fans in Oakland and Las Vegas. Whiffing at the top of the board comes back to bite you eventually.
It may not be dragging Denver down yet, but if things continue like this, soon, it will. And when it does, Raider Nation will be there partying.
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