Broncos Select Iowa CB Michael Ojemudia with Pick 77 in Third Round of Draft

The Broncos finally took a cornerback in the draft but perhaps not the one many draftniks were expecting.

After taking wide receivers with back-to-back picks to open the 2020 NFL Draft, the Denver Broncos finally turned to the other side of the ball. With the No. 77 overall pick in the third round, the Broncos selected Iowa CB Michael Ojemudia. 

The 6-foot-1, 200-pound Ojemudia is coming off a solid, if unspectacular, redshirt senior year at Iowa. He totaled 41 solo tackles and three interceptions, while defending nine passes. 

What really helped Ojemudia's draft stock was his performance at the NFL Scouting Combine in February in which he ran a 4.45-second 40-yard dash. For a defensive back as long as Ojemudia is, that's a solid time and shows that he's got some recovery speed if/when he gets beaten off the line of scrimmage. 

Here's what Mile High Huddle's Senior Draft Analyst Erick Trickel said about Ojemudia in our Finding Broncos series: 

"Ojemudia is reliable and can go get the ball for himself. The concerns he has can be worked out or schemed out to be more minor. The Vic Fangio scheme can actually do just that and really make Ojemudia work. It’d let him sit in off-coverage and work to keep plays in front of him. The concern with that is the lack of closing burst will be heightened in the Fangio scheme and that isn’t a good thing."

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Perceived as a little bit of a reach by most draftniks at this point, the Ojemudia pick is bound to garner some criticism. Although most draftniks viewed him as a fourth-to-fifth-round caliber player, what fans should take away is that this was the CB at this spot in the draft that Fangio wanted. 

Elway gave his head coach the CB he wanted. Ojemudia will compete on a CB depth chart that includes A.J. Bouye, Bryce Callahan, De'Vante Bausby, Isaac Yiadom, Duke Dawson and Davontae Harris. 

The Broncos still have two more selections in the third round — No. 83 and 95. 

Follow Chad on Twitter @ChadNJensen and @MileHighHuddle.