The Broncos entered the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft with a total of three third-round selections. With their first of the three selections, the Broncos selected Iowa cornerback, Michael Ojemudia.
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Ojemudia was added because the Broncos needed to add cornerback depth, specifically, a bigger/physicaler corner. That’s exactly what Ojemudia is. Also, he can tackle which is something a Vic Fangio corner needs to do and he’s an excellent fit in their defense so it all just makes a ton of sense.
Here’s what Denver Broncos Head Coach Vic Fangio had to say about Michal Ojemudia whom they selected in the third-round of the draft.
“Well the first thing I liked when we were watching him was just the way he played. He played well. He showed good instincts, had a good feel for the game. He runs well. He’s got some length, a good tackler. I just liked the way he played the game in all of the areas of his job. We were happy to get him there too.”
Fangio notes his instincts as something that jumped out to him as well as his length and tackling ability. There are traits Fangio looks for in a cornerback so it makes sense that Ojemudia would interest him enough to select him in the third round.
With A.J. Bouye and hopefully Bryce Callahan being your number one and number two corners, it will allow Ojemudia to be eased in and compete with Bausby and others for snaps this season. Fangio was asked this question and he said how quickly and how often Ojemudia plays is up to him.
“That’s up to him. Everything’s open. Competition is there. We’ll play the guys that deserve to play regardless of the year, whether they are a rookie, veteran or in between. He has the right to come in here and compete and earn a job.”
It’s likely Ojemudia see’s a decent amount of snaps this season in the Broncos defense. He was drafted to serve as their physical outside presence in sub-packages when Callahan shifts inside to the slot position. I like the fit a lot and hopefully he develops into a productive cornerback for the Denver Broncos.