Initial expectations and projections for Michael Ojemudia with the Broncos in 2020

DENVER — Recent history has not been kind to third-round cornerbacks drafted by the Denver Broncos.

In fact, the past two cornerbacks John Elway has drafted have been in the third round. In 2018, Denver selected Isaac Yiadom out of Boston College. In his two years, Yiadom’s played in all but three of Denver’s games. While there were bright spots from Yiadom, he was inconsistent and taken off the field at various points last year.

A year before drafting Yiadom, Denver drafted cornerback Brendan Langley in the third round. Langley is now a receiver not on the Broncos.

But the Broncos, and Vic Fangio, hope 2020’s third-round pick Michael Ojemudia won’t face similar struggles.

Here’s what should be expected out of the rookie cornerback in 2020.

Projections for 2020: Denver’s starting nickel corner and special-teams stud

Ojemudia is the first cornerback the Broncos drafted in the Vic Fangio era. With a wide-open competition for Denver’s third cornerback spot, Ojemudia gets the slight nod over the rest of the competition because he has Fangio’s backing, at least initially.

“I just like the way he played the game in all areas of his job,” Fangio said after the Broncos drafted the Iowa cornerback.

Additionally, Ojemudia is a great fit for Fangio’s defense. At Iowa, Ojemudia played a significant amount of zone coverage, which Fangio does as well instead of exclusively playing man-to-man. While Chris Harris Jr. was no doubt a great player, he wasn’t an ideal fit in Denver’s defense. Ojemudia profiles to be the great fit Vic was looking for.

At 6-foot-1, 200 pounds, Ojemudia has the size and speed — he ran a 4.45 40-yard dash at the combine — to play all over the field as well, which is important being the fifth defensive back on the field in nickel packages.

One of the most important attributes to get on the field under Fangio is being a willing tackler. Ojemudia checks that box as well as he’s consistently seeking out contact and not afraid to play physical. On top of that, Ojemudia was a mechanical engineer at Iowa and has the football I.Q. to transition to the next level quickly.

Because of all of this, and the fact the corner position is wide open behind A.J. Bouye and Bryce Callahan, the rookie is in a position to grab what many would consider a starting role as Denver’s third cornerback.