Report: Michigan's David Ojabo ruptured Achilles tendon during NFL draft pro day
The worst fears for David Ojabo have been confirmed.
Ojabo, projected to be a first-round pick in April's 2022 NFL draft, has ruptured the Achilles tendon in his left foot, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Saturday morning.
The injury news was feared after he fell to the ground in pain during Michigan's pro day Friday.
“I’ll be back,” Ojabo said Friday as he left Schembechler Hall using crutches, his lower leg in a boot. “You can print that in your article.”
As Schefter pointed out, Los Angeles Rams running back Cam Akers tore his Achilles last summer and made a miraculous recovery to return to play in games six months later.
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Ojabo's rise is nearly unprecedented. Born in Nigeria and growing up in Scotland, he came to New Jersey to play basketball, then later switched to football. Before 2021, Ojabo played 27 snaps after redshirting as a freshman.
He burst onto NFL radars during an 11-sack season in 2021, in which he forced a Wolverines record five fumbles, playing opposite Heisman trophy finalist Aidan Hutchinson.
Ojabo's draft stock will surely fall out of the first round, but a Day 2 selection is not out of the question.
The Philadelphia Eagles selected cornerback Sidney Jones in the second round, No. 43 overall, in 2017, after the projected top-15 pick tore his Achilles during Washington's pro day. Jones, now on his third team in Seattle, never lived up to the draft billing in Philadelphia and was labeled a draft mistake.