Ja'Quan

McMillian

McMillian, 26, signed the one-year restricted free-agent tender that the Broncos offered him this offseason, but he was ostensibly hoping that the front office would offer him an extension this summer. The former undrafted free agent has been the Broncos’ starting slot cornerback since 2023. The Broncos, however, possess a deep cornerback unit, so they are in no rush to invest more at the position. McMillian will make $5.767 million this year.

The Broncos brought McMillian, 25, aboard as an undrafted free agent in 2022. He impressively won the starting slot cornerback role in 2023 and has manned that spot for the Broncos ever since. The front office retained McMillian via a one-year contract last year, and appears set to do so again, though McMillian’s agent said the cornerback is hoping to sign a long-term deal. That may not happen. General manager George Patton made his top-tier cornerback unit even deeper by spending a first-round pick on former Texas CB Jahdae Barron in 2025. While No. 1 CB Patrick Surtain II will assuredly retain his starting role, the Broncos could end up hosting a competition between McMillian, Barron and No. 2 perimeter CB Riley Moss this year. Last year, Barron logged 155 snaps in the slot, 95 in the box and 90 on the perimeter and could have the talent to compete for either role.

McMillian is a restricted free agent who has quickly turned into one of the team’s top defenders after making the roster as a UDFA in 2022. The Broncos’ decision to tender McMillian means he can negotiate with other teams in free agency, but the Broncos have the right of refusal to match any offer he receives. Should the Broncos match that offer, McMillian would remain with the team, however, if they let him walk, the Broncos would receive a second-round pick as compensation. McMillian has started 16 of the 51 games he’s appeared in for the Broncos, but has played on over 700 defensive snaps each of the last two seasons.

McMillian is a pending restricted free agent come March. Paton added that a team could call the Broncos to make a run for him, but the team would like to keep him. The 25-year-old former UDFA tallied four sacks and two interceptions in the regular season and most notably wrestled away an interception from Brandin Cooks to defeat the Bills in the AFC Divisional Round. McMillian plays a key secondary role for a Broncos defense that led the team to an AFC Championship berth.

McMillan now has the chance to field offers from other teams. The Broncos can then match any offer McMillan receivers to retain him. If he doesn’t get any offers, McMillan will make just over a million dollars in Denver this year. The former UDFA broke out in 2024, logging 10 pass breakups, two interceptions and one pick-six across 17 games. He was credited with a start for nine of those weeks.

McMillian (5’9/175) was a three-year starter in the AAC, posting 127 tackles, 12 interceptions, and 28 pass breakups before forgoing his final two years of eligibility. A Combine snub, McMillian ran 4.49 at ECU’s Pro Day and was Pro Football Focus’ highest-graded cover cornerback in 2021. McMillian may profile best in slot in the NFL, where he saw time as a freshman in 2019. McMillian joins a Broncos’ rookie class that includes Pitt CB Demarri Mathis (fourth-round) and Wisconsin’s Faion Hicks (seventh).