ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- When Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton was asked about cornerback Ja'Quan McMillian's efforts after last Sunday's win over the Kansas City Chiefs before heading into the bye week, his answer came in the form of a checklist.
"Two sacks. Interception. Game ball. Big," Payton said.
In a critical game against the Chiefs -- the nine-time defending AFC West champions who had defeated the Broncos in 16 of their previous 18 meetings -- it was the unsung McMillian who stood out most on the Broncos' star-studded defense. His efforts helped Denver to a critical win, its third in a row without All-Pro cornerback and reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year Pat Surtain II, who is out with a left pectoral injury.
It's the latest step for McMillian, who Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph has called one of the best nickel corners in the league, since he entered the league as an undrafted free agent out of East Carolina in 2022.
McMillian has been defined by his versatility and competitiveness, as he has played in every game since being promoted from the Broncos' practice squad prior to the 2022 season finale against the Los Angeles Chargers. He has been a constant, fending off all defensive backs that the Broncos have signed or drafted.
"I love J-Mac, he's, you know, maybe an undersized player, but he's got that dog in him," Broncos guard Quinn Meinerz said. "That's the type of player that we need on this team and this defense, and he's been playing incredible, and he's continued to make plays for us year after year. ... He just shows up, works hard and it shows up on the field."
McMillian has flourished in a secondary that has been constantly tweaked around him. The Broncos have taken a cornerback in each of the past three drafts, selecting Riley Moss (third round, 2023), Kris Abrams-Draine (fifth round, 2024) and Jahdae Barron (first round, 2025).
Moss starts at outside corner, while Abrams-Draine has played most of the snaps in Surtain's spot, but McMillian continues to be entrenched at nickel. He has played 67% of Denver's defensive snaps this season, more than the highly touted Barron.
"I think I told you guys earlier during camp, J-Mac is going to be J-Mac, no matter who they bring in," McMillian said. "I love Jahdae, he's been a great add to the team, and he's going to be a good player, but I just do me. Keep working hard, go out there and do what I'm told to do. I never worry about the outside noise."
The Broncos have mixed and matched McMillian, Barron and Abrams-Draine based on personnel groupings as well as down-and-distance while Surtain has been out of the lineup. When Surtain returns, McMillian and Barron will likely divide most of the nickel work.
"We all know what Pat means to us, but those guys are NFL players ... they've put in the work, they're talented, talented guys," Joseph said of the group. "That's why they're here."
Finding a nickel cornerback who is athletic enough to cover receivers in high-traffic areas but also physical enough to play the run close to the line of scrimmage isn't easy. Many personnel executives will say it's one of the hardest roles to fill on an NFL roster. But the 5-foot-10, 183-pound McMillian showed those traits on the scout team as a rookie.
He got the Broncos' offensive players to notice him right away -- "[He's] always around the ball, you knew then," is how wide receiver Courtland Sutton put it. And since then, Joseph has loaded a full menu of tasks on McMillian's plate.
McMillian had seven tackles for loss in 2023, the most by a defensive back in Broncos' history. McMillian was second on the Broncos in tackles last season (81) while becoming the third defensive back in franchise history with two fumble recoveries and two interceptions in a single season. He's one of five players on the sack-happy Broncos -- whose 49 sacks have them on pace to set the single-season NFL record -- with at least four QB takedowns. And he has also shown a knack for making the well-timed, big-impact play, which he was able to do against the Chiefs.
His interception of Patrick Mahomes to end Kansas City's first possession of the second half led to the Broncos' only touchdown of the game. Mahomes got McMillian a bit later, connecting on a 61-yard pass inches over the leaping corner's fingers to help Kansas City to a game-tying score. But when Mahomes had a chance to lead the Chiefs on one of their patented, game-winning drives late in the fourth quarter, it was McMillian who shut the door with a sack on a third-and-10 blitz.
"The kid is an absolute stud," Moss said. "You know, gave up that long one and [was] unfazed. And that's how you become a good DB, you forget about the negatives and you continue to ball. And he balled out."
The Chiefs never got the ball again, as Denver ended the ensuing drive with a walk-off, game-winning field goal.
"We knew we needed to make a play, I knew it was going to be one of us and [Joseph] just so happened to call the right play for me," McMillian said. "I kind of timed it up well off Mahomes' hands, and I went in and made a play on him."
The Broncos return from their bye on Sunday when they play at the Washington Commanders and will face three of the top 11 passing offenses over the final six games of the regular season -- the Chiefs (fifth), Chargers (10th) and Packers (11th). And McMillian will likely have his fingerprints on all of it.