Denver Broncos: 3 most underhyped rookies in 2020

3. Michael Ojemudia, CB, Iowa

Because of where he was slotted in NFL mock draft machine simulators, Michael Ojemudia might be the most “underhyped” Broncos pick in the entire 2020 NFL Draft.

Ojemudia was typically a fourth-round guy in mock draft simulations, but the Broncos took him with their first of three selections in the third round.

Ojemudia did a ton of work at Iowa with his eyes on the quarterback, excelling in zone coverage but also showing solid man coverage skill as well.

He’s known among the Iowa coaching staff for being a smart player, but he’s also physical and fearless out there attacking the run as well.

In fact, that is one thing that is notably non-negotiable in Vic Fangio’s defense, and Ojemudia certainly set an example of run support being non-negotiable in his time at Iowa.

At 6-foot-1 and 200 pounds, Ojemudia ran a solid 4.45 in the 40-yard dash and put together a very solid if unspectacular Combine workout otherwise.

So many Iowa defensive backs have recently translated well to the NFL level, including one of the Broncos’ division foes Desmond King. Ojemudia is a different type of player but coming from the same type of defensive scheme, perhaps Denver can expect Ojemudia to be more of an instant contributor than other third-round picks.

In fact, don’t be surprised if Ojemudia is in the team’s starting lineup along with AJ Bouye and Bryce Callahan to open the season when the team goes to nickel.

He apparently really impressed the coaching staff during the virtual portion of the offseason with his understanding of the defense, and if he can prove himself on the practice field against the Broncos’ tremendously talented receiver group, he could wind up being an extremely valuable player early for this team.