Ja'Quan McMillian

Ja'Quan McMillian ( ; born June 4, 2000) is an American professional football cornerback for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the East Carolina Pirates and was signed by the Broncos as an undrafted free agent in 2022.

College career McMillian was a semi-finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award and earned second-team All-American honors for his 2021 season. He also earned second-team all-American Athletic Conference honors for his 2020 and 2021 seasons.

Professional career

After going unselected in the 2022 NFL draft, the Denver Broncos signed McMillian as an undrafted free agent. He was waived at the final roster cuts, on August 30, 2022. The Broncos signed him to their practice squad the next day, where he remained until January 3, 2023, when he was elevated to the active roster. McMillian made his professional debut 5 days later as a starter in the Broncos' Week 18 matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers, in which he played every defensive snap.

In his second season, he appeared in 16 games and started three. He finished with two sacks, 51 total tackles (37 solo), two interceptions, five passes defended, two forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries in the 2023 season. As the season progressed, McMillian became the Broncos' primary nickel corner after Essang Bassey was cut from the team and K'Waun Williams spent the entire season on injured reserve.

In Week 13 of the 2024 season against the Cleveland Browns with less than two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter and the Broncos leading 34–32, McMillian intercepted a pass by Jameis Winston and returned it 44 yards for a touchdown, effectively sealing the game for the Broncos.

On March 4, 2025, the Broncos assigned his exclusive-rights free agent tender, keeping him under contract through the 2025 season. McMillian was instrumental in the Broncos' Week 11 victory against the Kansas City Chiefs, recording an interception and two sacks. With the win the Broncos moved to a record of 9–2 and obtained a two-game lead for first place in the AFC West.

During the Broncos Divisional Round matchup against the Buffalo Bills, McMillian intercepted Josh Allen in overtime, ripping the ball away from Brandin Cooks to give the Broncos the ball. They would end up kicking a game-winning field goal on the subsequent drive, advancing to the AFC Championship.

On February 27, 2026, the Broncos placed a second-round restricted free agent tender on McMillian worth $5.8 million.

NFL career statistics Legend Bold Career high

Regular season Year Team Games Tackles Interceptions Fumbles GP GS Cmb Solo Ast Sck TFL Int Yds Avg Lng TD PD FF Fmb FR Yds TD 2022 DEN 1 1 7 6 1 0.0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2023 DEN 16 3 51 37 14 2.0 7 2 14 7.0 9 0 5 2 0 2 4 0 2024 DEN 17 9 81 61 20 1.0 4 2 44 22.0 44 1 10 1 0 0 0 0 2025 DEN 17 3 56 40 16 4.0 5 2 61 30.5 45 1 9 2 1 0 0 0Career 51 16 195 144 51 7.0 16 6 119 19.8 45 2 24 5 1 2 4 0

Postseason Year Team Games Tackles Interceptions Fumbles GP GS Cmb Solo Ast Sck TFL Int Yds Avg Lng TD PD FF Fmb FR Yds TD 2024 DEN 1 1 4 2 2 0.0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2025 DEN 2 2 2 1 1 0.0 1 1 0 0.0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0Career 3 3 6 3 3 0.0 1 1 0 0.0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0