Coming off an impressive second season in the NFL, Denver Broncos cornerback Ja’Quan McMillian is poised to take the next step in his career.
“He has really good instincts,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said when asked about McMillian on Dec. 12 last year. “Part of it is timing – you know, snap count, a lot of those things. He’s a smart player. That’s a good trait to have, you know his football IQ.”
McMillian finished his sophomore campaign in 2023 with 51 tackles, two sacks and two interceptions. Payton praised his instincts, parlaying his ability to a productive 2023 season.
“The instincts you feel and see on tape — it’s hard to measure those… You see that, and you feel that,” Payton said on Dec. 13. “Then in split-second decisions, he’s making the right ones and he’s in the right area.
“Guys that lack instincts will always find themselves kind of a day late and a dollar short. We spend a lot of time in the evaluation process with college or free agency trying to evaluate that, but I think that’s something that he’s done a good job with.”
McMillian joined the Broncos as an undrafted free agent out of East Carolina in 2022. He was promoted from the practice squad to the active roster for the team’s season finale in his rookie season. McMillian then had a breakout season last fall.
“‘J-Mac,’ who in his first year got to play in the last game, grew the entire offseason,” GM George Paton said on Jan. 9. “When he got his chance, he excelled.”
After playing in 16 games last season, McMillian is the favorite to serve as Denver’s top slot cornerback in 2024. If he keeps up his current trajectory, McMillian has a promising career ahead of him.
