Iowa cornerback Michael Ojemudia chosen in NFL Draft's third round by Denver Broncos

Michael Ojemudia turned consistent improvement at Iowa and a fantastic performance at the NFL Scouting Combine into becoming a third-round pick in the NFL Draft.

The cornerback was selected No. 77 overall by the Denver Broncos, a third-round pick. He joins former Hawkeye teammates Josey Jewell, the all-American linebacker who was a fourth-round pick for Denver in 2018, and Noah Fant, a first-round tight end in 2019.

The Farmington Hills, Michigan, native was a second-team all-Big Ten Conference pick last season and was the Broncos' first defensive selection of the draft.

Ojemudia (6-foot-1, 200 pounds) was inconsistent during his Iowa career and got benched on more than one occasion. But he was a strong tackler with good length and ball skills and became a stabilizing force for the nation's fifth-ranked scoring defense as a fifth-year senior.

Ojemudia ran a 4.45-second 40-yard dash and jumped 36 inches in the vertical at the Combine. ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. said he thought Ojemudia's Combine performance took him from a fifth-rounder to a third-rounder. Ojemudia was the 10th cornerback chosen overall.

According to spotrac.com, Ojemudia's rookie deal will be worth $4.6 million over four years with a $1 million signing bonus.