Broncos Risers Are All On Defense In This Stock Report

The Denver Broncos had plenty of great performances against the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday night, and they also had some noteworthy stinkers. It’s not exactly surprising that all of the risers are on defense in the weekly stock report of Sam Jane from the Denver Post. 

Kris Abrams-Draine, CB

The backup cornerback came up big late with a monster interception that should have sealed the Broncos’ 17-14 win in regulation, but the Denver offense couldn’t even get a first down to back him up.  It was a lazy route that opened up the pick, but Abrams-Draine still had to make a play, and he did. 

Jane had Jahdae Barron on his list item as well, but we disagree. Barron had some decent moments and he was where he was supposed to be, but he’s still not playing anywhere close to level a first-round pick should be, and those were plays he missed that could have been made. 

Ja’Quan McMillian, CB

McMillian is in a completely different category — he’s a pure playmaker, and that’s exactly what he did on Thursday night. He makes it look easy sometimes, and if you’re looking for an underrated part of the cornerback’s game, consider the tackling he did against Seattle receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, which was both first-rate and essential. 

The pass rush

There were too many players to list here, which speaks to the enormity of what the Broncos were able to accomplish in this area. They hit Seattle quarterback Sam Darnold an astounding 17 times, so it was little wonder that Darnold started getting happy feet and throwing intercetions late in the game. The two leaders were defensive tackle Zach Allen and linebacker Nik Bonitto, but they had plenty of company from start to finish. 

Vance Joseph

The orchestrator of all this was the defensive coordinator, who has more weapons than any coordinator should really have. But Joseph knows how to use them, and he also knows when to change it up as he kept the Seahawks guessing all night long about who  was coming, when they going to be unleashed and what angle Joseph was going to use. It’s becoming increasingly obvious that Joseph should have gotten a lot more interviews for a head coaching job this offseason.

Winning mindset

If you want to make the argument that the Broncos are going to be alright despite their struggles, you can use this point as your backup, especially when Denver is at home.