Denver Broncos: Michael Ojemudia could miss first chunk of season
Denver Broncos cornerback Michael Ojemudia will miss the first chunk of the 2021 season, per Mike Klis. Ojemudia suffered a hamstring injury and is expected to miss between 4-6 weeks. Per the team’s official depth chart, Ojemudia is behind Kyle Fuller and rookie Pat Surtain at the left cornerback spot.
The initial fear for Ojemudia was that there was damage to his ACL, which would have knocked him out for the entire 2021 season. It is great news that it’s only a hamstring injury.
It is a great thing that the Broncos invested in Kyle Fuller and Ronald Darby this offseason.
While there’s virtually no way Ojemudia gets cut because of this injury, it gives other players the opportunity to step up and potentially earn their roster spot in the last preseason game.
Those players include Nate Hairston, Saivion Smith, Mac McCain, Parnell Motley, and rookie Kary Vincent. Ojemudia’s absence will create some competition at the position that everybody should keep their eyes on during the next game.
Ojemudia started 11 of 16 games played as a rookie in 2020. He defended six passes and forced four fumbles, and made 62 total tackles including 55 solo and one tackle for loss.
To start off the 2021 season, the Denver Broncos will face the Daniel Jones’ New York Giants, rookie Trevor Lawrence and the Jacksonville Jaguars, rookie Zach Wilson and the New York Jets, and Lamar Jackson’s Baltimore Ravens. Those first three games could prove to be fairly easy games and the Broncos should be in them pretty nicely.
While the loss of Ojemudia doesn’t look good, the Broncos’ secondary is one of the better secondaries on paper. It will be good to get Ojemudia back in time for Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers. Trying to prevent big plays through the air against Roethlisberger, Chase Claypool, and JuJu Smith-Schuster isn’t easy.
The Broncos will also be without running back Adrian Killins, who has a “significant” ankle injury. Denver is without Mike Boone, but has Melvin Gordon, Javonte Williams and Royce Freeman, as well as Damarea Crockett to get through the final stretch of preseason games.