Broncos' Ja'Quan McMillian could become next franchise cornerstone on defense
"J-Mac is a dog."Those are the words that former ECU DB coach Steve Ellis told me of Denver Broncos CB Ja'Quan McMillian back in April of 2022. He took pre-draft visits with teams like the Detroit Lions, Kansas City Chiefs, Arizona Cardinals, and Denver Broncos after winning AP All-American honors and recording five interceptions (second in […]
"J-Mac is a dog."
Those are the words that former ECU DB coach Steve Ellis told me of Denver Broncos CB Ja'Quan McMillian back in April of 2022.
He took pre-draft visits with teams like the Detroit Lions, Kansas City Chiefs, Arizona Cardinals, and Denver Broncos after winning AP All-American honors and recording five interceptions (second in the FBS) during his final season with the Pirates. He went undrafted and landed in Denver after the draft. He didn't play a whole lot as a rookie, but the development cycle took hold perfectly.
His performance and play this season show you exactly why Ellis was so high on his former player.
The Broncos' defensive turnaround this season has been prompted by getting the right players and pieces more involved. McMillian only has two starts on the season, mostly playing in the slot for Denver. Yet, after Week 4, he's played no fewer than 52% of the defensive snaps for the Broncos in a single game.
His versatility has been one of the biggest parts of his game, too. Not only does he have a violent downhill trigger to make tackles for loss in the run game, but his ball skills are undeniable. He's produced four turnovers on the season between interceptions and forced fumbles. He also does a great job blitzing from that slot corner spot.
Denver simply hasn't had a player produce out of the slot like this since Chris Harris Jr. was locking receivers down in the 2010s. He looks to be the next cornerstone for the franchise in that slot corner role and a huge part of the Vance Joseph defense moving forward.
