TORONTO — Rolan Milligan Jr. is having a season to remember with the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
The defensive back is seemingly making plays every week for the playoff-bound Riders. Milligan Jr. leads the CFL with eight picks, including one against the Edmonton Elks on Saturday to help the team clinch a 28-24 win that secured a post-season spot.
“It’s very rare that you get talked about as a defensive back in the in the Most Outstanding Player conversations, but (it makes sense) when you have the ability to create turnovers and also make an impact on special teams and you’re being dominant in two of the three phases of the game,” said former All-CFL defensive back Jovon Johnson in a conversation with Donnovan Bennett and Davis Sanchez in this week’s edition of The Waggle Podcast.
Johnson knows a thing or two about excelling at the position, being named All-CFL twice (2009, 2011) while also earning CFL’s Most Outstanding Defensive Player in 2011 with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
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The Riders entered Week 18 third in total yards and points allowed thanks to a physical defence headlined by players like Milligan Jr., Marcus Sayles and Bryan Cox.
“(Milligan Jr.) has ball skills. But to me, it’s his physical presence and dominance that kind of permeates through the whole team,” said Sanchez about the defensive back.
No. 0 is also dominant when it comes to advanced statistics. Pro Football Focus ranks him as the second best coverage players of 2024 with an 89.8 grade. Milligan Jr. has allowed only 56.1 per cent of the passes thrown in his direction to be completed while registering a 16.7 forced incompletion percentage and allowing only a 55.2 passer rating.
Milligan Jr. is also one of several defensive players making a case for Most Outstanding Player, including Winnipeg’s Tyrell Ford and Montreal’s Tyrice Beverette. Both are enjoying excellent teams with their respective teams, but Milligan Jr. supporters can bolster his case with the fact that he’s also contributing on special teams.
“All of his defensive greatness impact on the game, the fact that this guy is, if not the best defensive player in league, one of them, and dominates the way he does. And then he goes down on special teams, trying to do it every snap, 19 tackles on special teams,” added Sanchez.
“If you’re a guy who’s fighting for a job as only a special teamer it’s still hard to run down there because it’s a tough job, but to be a star player and still go down there as if every snap is your last, much respect. I’m sure the guys in his locker room respect the heck out of what he’s doing.”
Not coincidentally, the trio of Roughriders, Blue Bombers and Alouettes have clinched a playoff spot thanks to a strong defence that makes plays every week and a trio of Milligan Jr., Beverette and Ford that has combined for 20 total turnovers.