When the Denver Broncos needed a hero the most, the most unlikely defender stepped up. The Broncos took the ball away from the Bills a staggering five times on Saturday afternoon in Denver, but still needed one more play to punch their ticket to the AFC Championship Game. When it finally appeared as though the Buffalo Bills were going to send the Broncos packing, their knight in shining armor finally appeared. The Ball was out of Bo Nix's hands, and firmly in Vance Joseph's
Ja'Quan McMillian has been an incredible playmaker for Joseph's defense for a few years now and has really stepped it up in recent weeks. He had a pick-six in Denver's win over the Chargers in Week 18 and had a major interception of Patrick Mahomes a few weeks prior in their win over Kansas City. The Broncos needed one more major play against the Bills, and McMillian apparently had one more in him.
Initially beat off the line by veteran Brandin Cooks, McMillian used incredible closing speed to chase him down, yank the ball away as he was falling, and secure yet another absurdly important interception. This one put the game back in the hands of the Broncos, and they did not look back. Wil Lutz nailed yet another game-winner, and the Broncos are off to the AFC Championship Game, which will be next week in Denver.
Ja'Quan McMillian is becoming the best defensive UDFA in Broncos history
While Rod Smith will always be the best undrafted free agent in team history, McMillian has entered his name into the conversation for the best defensive UDFA the Broncos have ever had. The other name in this conversation would be Chris Harris Jr., who has a shiny ring on his finger that McMillian currently does not have. His insane play on Cooks might help this current group of Broncos get their own, which could put him above Harris.
In now four years as a Bronco, McMillian has blossomed into one of the best slot corners in the league. He went undrafted out of East Carolina and landed with the Broncos during the 2022 season. He worked his way up to getting more snaps, then found himself getting starts, became the Broncos' slot corner, and is now a pivotal piece on an incredible defense that is set to play for a Super Bowl berth next week.
The Broncos' defense has missed these kinds of plays for the majority of the season, but McMillian has been consistently making them. He has stamped his mark in Broncos' history, and might not be done writing his incredible story. If he can come up big in two more Broncos wins this year, he could enter special conversations among one of the most storied franchises in football.