Broncos’ Ja’Quan McMillian Moves Within 1.5 Sacks of Undrafted Cornerback Record

Denver Broncos cornerback Ja’Quan McMillian moved into third place in career sacks by an undrafted NFL cornerback when he brought down Bryce Young in Denver’s win over the Carolina Panthers.

The sack was McMillian’s 10th, putting him ahead of Corey Ivy, who finished with 9.5. Denver’s historical leaderboard lists Mike Hilton and Kenny Moore II as the record holders at 11.5 apiece. McMillian is 1.5 sacks away from joining them and two away from taking the record outright.

The milestone came on a third down in the fourth quarter of Denver’s 26–21 win at Carolina on Nov. 8. McMillian dropped Young for a three-yard loss, leaving the Panthers facing fourth-and-18 with less than four minutes remaining. He finished the game with six tackles.

McMillian has three sacks through nine games this season, according to NFL.com. He had four in 17 games last season, his career high. One more would match that mark and move him within half a sack of Hilton and Moore.

The Broncos signed McMillian as an undrafted free agent out of East Carolina in 2022. He appeared in one game as a rookie before taking on a larger role the following season, when he recorded his first two sacks. He has recorded at least one sack in every season since.

McMillian had already put himself in rare company with nine sacks and seven interceptions before the Carolina game. Those two totals show the choices Denver has with him in the slot. Defensive coordinator Vance Joseph can leave McMillian in coverage or send him after the quarterback from close to the line of scrimmage.

Kansas City saw both sides of that last season. McMillian sacked Patrick Mahomes twice and intercepted him in the same game. A repeat of that two-sack performance would give him the record, though he can also get there a half-sack at a time.

Denver is on its bye this week and hosts the Las Vegas Raiders on Nov. 22. That will be McMillian’s first chance to close the gap since passing Ivy. The Broncos have eight regular-season games remaining, giving him time to challenge both his single-season best and the career mark.