Mock draft season has begun, and analysts have started to pair a slew of different players with the Broncos, who hold the ninth-overall selection in this year's NFL Draft. But as the next crop of NFL hopefuls begin their path to the league at the Senior Bowl this week, we're taking a look back at Denver's 2020 draft class.
Despite an unprecedented offseason in which the rookies lost out on potentially thousands of reps because of the COVID-19 pandemic, many of the team's draft picks still made significant impacts in their first season.
All but one of Denver's 10 draft picks saw action — Justin Strnad was placed on injured reserve before the season — and many found a way to contribute in near instant fashion.
We continue with a look at the Broncos' three third-round picks from 2020:
CB Michael Ojemudia
Overview:
The Broncos' first defensive selection of the draft arrived in Denver to high expectations. While Bryce Callahan and A.J. Bouye were the presumed top two cornerbacks, the Broncos needed a third player to emerge to play the outside corner position when Callahan shifted inside in the team's nickel defense. Ojemudia, a rangy, solid tackler from Iowa, was part of the training camp competition from Day 1 and beat out Davontae Harris, Isaac Yiadom and De'Vante Bausby to earn plenty of Week 1 playing time as the team's third cornerback. His role, though, quickly became even more pronounced, as an injury to Bouye shifted Ojemudia into a starting role in the team's base defense. The 6-foot-1, 200-pound player's rookie season was a mix of strong play and missed plays. He forced four fumbles, which made him just the third rookie corner in the last 20 years with at least that many forced fumbles. He also struggled mightily in several games as he adjusted to the speed of NFL receivers.
Stats:
16 games, 11 starts, six passes defensed, four forced fumbles, 62 tackles, one tackle for loss.
Game to remember:
Ojemudia's best appearance came in either Week 6 against the Patriots — when he forced two fumbles, tallied seven tackles and broke up a pass in a win — or against the Raiders in Week 17. We'll defer to the latter performance, in which he forced another two fumbles and recorded seven more tackles. After an embattled rookie year — more on that in a moment — Ojemudia capped a string of five starts to end the season with a strong performance that allowed him to enter the offseason on a high note.
Area for improvement:
As Ojemudia enters Year 2, he'll aim to capitalize on his opportunities to make game-changing plays. In a Week 1 game against Tennessee, he had an interception wiped out due to a defensive penalty on Alexander Johnson. A week later in Pittsburgh, he dropped an interception in the end zone, and the Steelers went on to score during that drive. Ojemudia also allowed a pair of touchdown grabs — including an 84-yarder to Chase Claypool — in that game. Later in the season, Ojemudia did not play a defensive snap in two consecutive weeks after he struggled in a loss to Atlanta in which neither Callahan or Bouye were available. Ojemudia showed the ability to put himself in position to make plays. Like most rookies, he just needs to do it more consistently.
C LLOYD CUSHENBERRY III
Overview:
Lloyd Cushenberry III joined the Broncos as a national champion, the leader of the nation's best collegiate offensive line and an All-American center. He didn't slow down upon arriving in Denver. Cushenberry beat out Patrick Morris and Austin Schlottmann despite no in-person offseason program, and he became just the second Broncos rookie to start Week 1 at center since the merger. He would better that accomplishment, though, as he played every snap for the Broncos. He was the only Denver offensive player to achieve that feat and was one of two rookies across the league to play every snap. He is also one of three rookie centers over the last five seasons to start every game.
Stats:
16 games, 16 starts, 1,076 snaps (100 percent)
Game to remember:
Cushenberry said he took strides in the Broncos' Week 6 game against the Patriots, but he felt his best performance came in a Week 13 loss to the 11-1 Chiefs.
"We were disappointed we didn't win the game, but I thought we were out there playing physical and fast," Cushenberry said after the season. "That's when I realized I could do this on a consistent basis, and I tried to make it a habit. … It was a real turning point for me to tell myself that I could play with the best of the best."
Despite facing a defense that includes All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones, the Broncos did not allow a sack and rushed for 179 yards on 33 carries.
Area for improvement:
Cushenberry said he believes he handled the mental side of the game well, which is likely in part to a tireless work ethic. In Year 2, he'll aim to craft his body to better stand up against NFL defensive linemen.
"It's just more physical and technique-wise," Cushenberry said. "Every year you want to get stronger as an O-lineman. We're going against big, fast D-linemen all the time, so we want to get stronger. Really, this offseason will be about just getting that technique down and overall just working on my body, changing my diet."
DT McTELVIN AGIM
Overview:
The Broncos' final third-round pick, Agim struggled to find defensive playing time on a deep defensive line that initially included a lineup of Jurrell Casey, Mike Purcell and Shelby Harris. Injuries — and a lengthy COVID-related absence for Harris — gave Agim a chance for a few snaps at points of the season. The 6-foot-3, 309-pound player, though, largely spent the season working on his craft under the tutelage of Defensive Line Coach Bill Kollar.
"There's potential there," Head Coach Vic Fangio said in December. "Obviously, there's ups and downs anytime you put a young guy in there in the trenches. He's experienced some of that. … But we like 'Sosa' and we like his future, and hopefully he can keep improving."
Stats:
10 games, eight tackles, one pass defensed.
Game to remember:
Agim saw his most work from Weeks 12-15, as he appeared in three games and played 50 defensive snaps. He totaled three combined tackles during those games.
Area for improvement:
As mentioned, Agim's rookie season was largely used for developmental purposes. He played defensive snaps in all 10 games in which he was active, but he played more than 20 percent of the team's snaps in just six of those games. It's possible in 2021 — in a defensive line room that could undergo significant change — that Agim could earn more of a role.
