ENGLEWOOD — Malcolm Roach did not get picked in the 2020 NFL draft when a conversation altered his mindset from devastated to determined.

It laid the foundation for his recent three-year, $24-million contract extension with the Broncos.

“It’s crazy. I just remember sitting there with my dad and my agent,” Roach said earlier this week after practice at Broncos Park. “The draft ended and my agent just told me, he was like: ‘I know you’re going to make a lot of money in this league. Just do things right and everything is going to work out.’ That’s basically the motto I had. Just stay down and everything came to fruition.”

Roach found a home at defensive tackle with the Broncos as a key rotational piece. His defensive play-time percentage this season, his sixth in the NFL, has never been higher (53.4%). He’s also a respected trash-talking leader among teammates. Roach is now signed through the 2028 season in Denver.

“It was a good fit,” coach Sean Payton said.

Roach started his football journey as an oversized fourth grader playing varsity high school football under his dad, Mike Roach, as the head coach. His son later earned a scholarship to play at the University of Texas. Roach played four years with the Longhorns, compiled 134 tackles and 8 sacks, in addition to being named a team captain as a senior.

NFL analysts projected Roach as a late-round draft choice. He received plenty of interest but never heard his name called. Roach signed a free-agent deal with the Saints, where he crossed paths with ex-Air Force defensive lineman Jordan Jackson, a sixth-round New Orleans draft choice in 2022.

Jackson reflected on their brief stint as Saints teammates before reuniting with the Broncos.

“When you get into the building as a rookie, you kind of just try to see how everybody is working,” Jackson told The Denver Gazette. “The way he worked, I thought that maybe he was drafted. I didn’t even know he was undrafted until he told me. Now, it just makes so much sense … earning the pay that he just got. Shoot, congratulations to him. I’m happy for him.”

Roach entered NFL free agency after several injury-plagued seasons in New Orleans. The Broncos had a bigger vision for how he might impact their defense in the Payton coaching era. Roach signed a two-year deal in 2024 with Denver worth up to $8 million.

The expectations were clear. In 2023, the Broncos gave up 5.0 yards per carry (last in the NFL).

“I knew what my job (was) coming here. They told me from the beginning: ‘We’ve got to stop the run better,’” Roach recalled. “I said: Man, that’s something I could do. That’s something I know I could bring to the table. But I also knew I could bring a great attitude every day. … It started coming together.”

The Broncos enter Week 13 against the Commanders on Sunday night ranked ninth in the NFL for run-stop win rate — 32%, per ESPN. Denver currently leads the league with just 3.6 yards allowed per carry. Mission accomplished.

Roach missed five games on injured reserve due to a calf injury to begin the season. But he’s returned strong since with 21 tackles and two sacks over six games played. Jackson explained what stands out when watching Roach on game film.

“His fundamentals. The way he plays the run. The way he keeps progressing in the pass (rush) but also just his motor,” Jackson said. “Whenever you watch the film, he’s really all over the field. He’ll start on one side and be on the other side, making tackles on the sideline. He still thinks he’s faster than me. I don’t think so. But he is moving all over the place, and I think that’s something that really adds to this defense.”

Respect for Roach extends to teammates across the line of scrimmage at Broncos Park.

“It was a pleasure to meet (Roach) when he first came here, and he’s been a part of the culture that we’ve built here,” right guard Quinn Meinerz told The Denver Gazette. “(He’s) a key piece to it. He’s a very vocal leader. Not everyone has got that, so it’s definitely very appreciated here.”

Roach now has the security of a second contract with the Broncos. But his desire to remain in Denver goes beyond just a financial decision.

“You really just feel like you’re building a brotherhood every day. Like I always tell people, you can’t put a price on happiness,” Roach said. “You can’t put a price on coming to work with people that you love to come to work with. … When they got their deals, everybody was going crazy like we signed. And it was the same thing today when I walked into the building. So, just finally having that moment, it was big.

“It’s been a long time coming. But we finally got there.”