GM Ryan Poles has made one thing clear. He will never stop acquiring talented players if he thinks they can be salvaged. His trade for N’Keal Harry and waiver claim of Alex Leatherwood, two former 1st round picks, proves as much. That trend continued on Wednesday when the Chicago Bears claimed Michael Ojemudia off of waivers from the Denver Broncos. The former Iowa standout was a 3rd round pick in 2020, starting 11 games as a rookie and forcing four fumbles. He looked like he had a bright future ahead of him.
Things turned against him the following year. It started when Denver signed Kyle Fuller in free agency and got worse when they drafted Patrick Surtain II in the 1st round. He was quickly buried on the depth chart. Then things got worse when injuries started to strike. A hamstring problem sidelined him for most of 2021. He played well when he retired late in the year, but an elbow injury slowed his momentum before the start of 2022. Combine that with the arrival of a new coaching staff, and his hopes of regaining a starting job were squashed.
He’s big, athletic, and has long arms. All three are critical traits for head coach Matt Eberflus. Most importantly, he gets his hands on the football. Before his four forced fumbles in 2020, he had six interceptions over his final two years in college. This new Bears defense is built around creating turnovers. Ojemudia has shown he can do that. What he needs is an opportunity. Chicago is the perfect place. Jaylon Johnson is done for the year with finger and rib injuries. Kindle Vildor remains out. Depth is a serious issue for this team. It creates a wide open void for Ojemudia to step in and make an impression.
He has one year left on his rookie contract. So the Chicago Bears control him through the 2023 season. They have time to do some evaluating. If he’s able to look like the player he was at the end of last season when he was locking down guys like Tyreek Hill and Mecole Hardman, then Poles may have landed a gem. Health is the crucial factor in this. Staying on the field is paramount. It will be interesting to see if the Bears coaches get him involved right away against Detroit and Minnesota these last two weeks.
