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Broncos' most underappreciated player is named and couldn't be more accurate originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
There are over 2,000 players on NFL rosters (including the practice squad) when a season kicks off, so there are bound to be players who fly under the radar despite consistently solid play.
The Denver Broncos have one of the more complete rosters in the NFL. Everyone is familiar with the names of Bo Nix, Courtland Sutton, Nik Bonitto and Pat Surtain II, but the teams that win Super Bowls do it with a complete 53-man roster chipping in.
Looking up and down the roster, who is the most underappreciated player on the team? That is the question that Gennaro Filice of NFL.com set out to answer for each of the 32 teams in the league. When it came to the Broncos, he hit the nail on the head with his selection of defensive back Ja'Quan McMillian.
"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", wrote Filice.
Ja'Quan McMillian is correct pick as Broncos 'most underappreciated player
When the Broncos chose Barron in the first round last year, McMillian became an afterthought overnight. Would the Broncos try to trade the former undrafted free agent? Instead, he responded with a tremendous season, forcing Barron to wait his turn.
There is a good chance his play will keep Barron on the sidelines for much of 2026 as well.
In addition to the huge play he came up with against Buffalo in the playoffs, he also had a key third-down sack of Patrick Mahomes in the Broncos' home win against Kansas City last November.
ROSTER NEWS:Denver Broncos Undrafted Rookie Spotlight: Tyler Miller adds to one of team's biggest strengths
Led by Surtain, the Broncos have one of the best secondaries in the league. Riley Moss holds his own on the other boundary and the safety combination of Talanoa Hufanga and Brandon Jones is quite good. But McMillian has to be included in that discussion as he has been a key factor in that secondary — and Vance Joseph's defense — being as good as it is.
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