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The Denver Broncos have a long and storied tradition of success with undrafted rookies coming into the league. Rod Smith, Phillip Lindsay, Chris Harris Jr. and C.J. Anderson are just some of the names that come to mind when thinking of undrafted players the team has hit on.
The team has an interesting class of undrafted players in training camp this year and many of these players can push for spots on the 53-man roster. But what if you had to put together a roster made up of nothing but undrafted players? How many current Broncos would make that team?
That's exactly what Daire Carragher of Pro Football Focus did recently. Looking at every position group in the league, Carragher identified three current Broncos for spots on this team: pass rusher Dondrea Tillman, linebacker Alex Singleton and cornerback Ja'Quan McMillian.
Undrafted out of Division II Indiana of Pennsylvania in 2022, not much was expected from Tillman at the professional level. But after posting 8.5 sacks in three successful seasons with the Birmingham Stallions of the UFL, the Broncos brought Tillman in, and he hasn't looked back. He has 64 tackles and nine sacks through two seasons in Denver.
"That leaves Dondrea Tillman, whose path to the NFL was anything but conventional," Carragher wrote for PFF. "After joining the Broncos from the UFL's Birmingham Stallions, Tillman has played just 747 defensive snaps. Even so, he has produced 49 pressures and nine sacks in a rotational role. Tillman is also the only NFL player to emerge from Curt Cignetti's tenure as head coach at IUP, making his rise all the more unlikely."
Singleton joins Houston's Azeez Al-Shaair as the inside linebackers on this team and that makes sense, as Singleton has racked up as many tackles as just about anyone in the NFL during his time in the league. He has been a defensive leader for the Broncos who is in on seemingly every play, and his public battle with cancer last year endeared him to his teammates and the fanbase even more.
Undrafted out of Montana State in 2015, Singleton has been a regular in the league since 2019 after a successful run in the CFL.
Finally, McMillian makes this team as one of the three cornerbacks selected, and he's probably one of the most obvious selections on the entire team. McMillian has been so good that the Broncos have yet to even really need last year's first-round pick, Jahdae Barron.
The Broncos signed McMillian as an undrafted player out of East Carolina in 2022 and he has been nothing short of fantastic for the team. He has racked up 195 tackles to go with six interceptions, two of which he has returned for touchdowns, in his young career.
This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: 3 Broncos players made PFF’s all-undrafted team for 2026 season
Continue reading...
The team has an interesting class of undrafted players in training camp this year and many of these players can push for spots on the 53-man roster. But what if you had to put together a roster made up of nothing but undrafted players? How many current Broncos would make that team?
That's exactly what Daire Carragher of Pro Football Focus did recently. Looking at every position group in the league, Carragher identified three current Broncos for spots on this team: pass rusher Dondrea Tillman, linebacker Alex Singleton and cornerback Ja'Quan McMillian.
Undrafted out of Division II Indiana of Pennsylvania in 2022, not much was expected from Tillman at the professional level. But after posting 8.5 sacks in three successful seasons with the Birmingham Stallions of the UFL, the Broncos brought Tillman in, and he hasn't looked back. He has 64 tackles and nine sacks through two seasons in Denver.
"That leaves Dondrea Tillman, whose path to the NFL was anything but conventional," Carragher wrote for PFF. "After joining the Broncos from the UFL's Birmingham Stallions, Tillman has played just 747 defensive snaps. Even so, he has produced 49 pressures and nine sacks in a rotational role. Tillman is also the only NFL player to emerge from Curt Cignetti's tenure as head coach at IUP, making his rise all the more unlikely."
Singleton joins Houston's Azeez Al-Shaair as the inside linebackers on this team and that makes sense, as Singleton has racked up as many tackles as just about anyone in the NFL during his time in the league. He has been a defensive leader for the Broncos who is in on seemingly every play, and his public battle with cancer last year endeared him to his teammates and the fanbase even more.
Undrafted out of Montana State in 2015, Singleton has been a regular in the league since 2019 after a successful run in the CFL.
Finally, McMillian makes this team as one of the three cornerbacks selected, and he's probably one of the most obvious selections on the entire team. McMillian has been so good that the Broncos have yet to even really need last year's first-round pick, Jahdae Barron.
The Broncos signed McMillian as an undrafted player out of East Carolina in 2022 and he has been nothing short of fantastic for the team. He has racked up 195 tackles to go with six interceptions, two of which he has returned for touchdowns, in his young career.
This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: 3 Broncos players made PFF’s all-undrafted team for 2026 season
Continue reading...
