Michael Ojemudia | CB | Iowa
Elevator Pitch
Ojemudia is a lengthy, fluid and intelligent cornerback who offers potential as a boundary corner at the next level. He isn’t a great tackler and his speed is average on tape, so that may knock his stock a little bit, but he has the tools to develop into a solid starter at the next level.
Vitals
Height | 6-1
Weight | 200
Strengths
Iowa has produced plenty of talented defensive backs in recent years, and Ojemudia looks to be the next product in that assembly line of defenders.
At 6-foot-1 with a long wingspan, Ojemudia possesses plenty of length that gives him upside playing on the boundary. He isn’t afraid of getting physical at the line of scrimmage, as he has shown the ability to engage with receivers in quick-jam press and lock them up right at the snap. He can fight through box-out attempts pretty well too, which helps him out in jump-ball situations and when defending routes across the middle of the field in man coverage. Ojemudia complements that length and physicality with solid overall fluidity, as he can flip his hips well and change direction fluidly for his size. He plays with good footwork and pad level in his backpedal and has good overall patience in coverage.
Ojemudia isn’t just a tools prospect; he offers a high football IQ and instincts in man coverage. He is quick to read the eyes of the quarterback and diagnose the play, allowing him to act upon his reads to make a play on the ball. He tracks the ball down well and has impressive ball skills for the cornerback position. When engaged in tight man coverage, he is able to get his hands inside the frame of the opposition pretty well. He has a good feel for his safeties’ responsibilities, so he is able to determine what decision to make in zone coverage to ensure the opposing team doesn’t march down the field. The production is there with him, as well: he had 6 interceptions and 15 pass deflections in his last two seasons at Iowa.
Weaknesses
Though Ojemudia ran a 4.45 40-yard dash at the Combine, his game speed isn’t necessarily reflective of that time. He doesn’t have stellar long speed when guarding vertical routes and can struggle against speedy wideouts in man coverage. He has enough quickness to be serviceable in that regard, but a lack of top-end athletic ability will likely limit him to guarding ‘X’ receivers on the boundary in the pros. He can be a bit too cushiony in zone coverage at times, and he doesn’t always have the downhill acceleration to effectively jump routes with consistency.
Ojemudia also struggles as a run defender. He doesn’t take very good angles as a tackler, and the effort with which he plays in run support is pretty lackluster on a down-by-down basis. His form isn’t all that polished, and he can stand to improve his ability to get his weight underneath him and play with good pad level as a tackler. He also can get better at shedding blocks.
Projection: 3rd-4th Round
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