The Denver Broncos might just have the best roster and overall best operation in the NFL right now. This franchise may have been one ankle away from a Super Bowl title last year, so all the motivation is there for this team to get back to that spot - one game from the Super Bowl.
The team doesn't have a glaring weakness, and this is even true with the coaching staff and the front office. In what is going to be one of the most important years in team history, the Broncos truly have it all. One huge reason why the team has gotten to this point is because of all the high-end drafting and talent acquisition that has taken place.
Whether it's in free agency like Zach Allen, or in the NFL Draft with a plethora of players like Bo Nix, Nik Bonitto, and others, or even in the undrafted market, the Broncos are hitting home run after home run, but this also does mean that other players have kind of flown under the radar a bit...
Denver Broncos CB Ja'Quan McMillian was named the team's most underappreciated player for 2026
NFL.com Editor at Large, Gennaro Felice, dubbed Ja'Quan McMillian as the Broncos most underappreciated player for the 2026 campaign:
"When Denver spent its 2025 first-round pick on Jahdae Barron, it felt like McMillian’s spot in the lineup was under threat. Then McMillian responded with his best professional season yet, inspiring notable praise from Broncos GM George Paton in February: “He’s one of our core players. We love having him here.” A former undrafted free-agent signee, McMillian signed a second-round RFA tender in March, exhibiting how much his value has increased over four seasons in Denver. As the nickelback in Vance Joseph’s aggressive defense, McMillian is a feisty run defender who also offers ball production (two interceptions in each of the past three seasons) and blitz savvy (four sacks in 2025). Not to mention, the guy boasts an undeniable clutch gene. His OT pick of Josh Allen in January’s Divisional Round might have been controversial, but it set up the Broncos for the win.
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It might just be something with slot cornerbacks that makes them among the more sneaky player on a team. McMillian stands at 5-10 and weighs less than 190 pounds. He has been the smallest player on the field many times before, but that hasn't stopped him from making clutch play after clutch play.
Clearly entrenched as the starting slot cornerback, McMillian enjoyed the best season of his career in 2025, finishing with two interceptions, nine passes defended, two forced fumbles, four sacks, 56 total tackles, five tackles for loss, and four quarterback hits.
According to Pro Football Reference, he allowed a stellar passer rating of just 74.2 when in coverage, allowing just 47 completions for 467 yards, which was over 200 fewer yards than last year's total. Given that he did not sign a multi-year deal this offseason, isn't getting paid a ton, and shares the secondary with a ton of other high-end players, it is fair to say that he is underappreciated.
Obviously, Broncos fans appreciate McMillian greatly, but in terms of a broader roster scale, and even across the NFL, McMillian probably doesn't get the credit he deserves. The biggest play he made last year, obviously, was that insane apparent-completion-then-interception off of Brandin Cooks.
McMillian hasn't just made his mark defending the pass, though, as he can get into the backfield as a blitzer better than most cornerbacks, and his ability against the run is quite strong. All in all, there isn't really a clear weakness with McMillian as a player.
Sure, he's going to continue to be physically limited simply due to his size, but that hasn't stopped him through the three prominent seasons of his NFL career. If he begins the 2026 season at a high level, the Broncos would likely have no choice but to offer him a long-term extension.
We've increasingly seen a rising importance of the slot cornerback in today's NFL, and it's a position that many teams have struggled to fill. The Broncos, however, not only found a great one, but he wasn't even drafted, which also contributes to this sneaky label he's been given ahead of 2026.
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