C.J. Henderson, CB, Florida
Listed at 6-foot-1, 200 pounds Henderson is in the conversation to be the second corner taken off the board and his play reflects that. Henderson has extremely smooth hips that he can unlock in any direction to mirror and match receivers. He crowds receivers space and forces contested catches, and he has the foot quickness to plant his feet and drive on the ball. However, he shows some poor effort when it comes to tackling. Henderson is in play for pick 17 and could be another corner who has a chance to step in and play a vitale role for this Cowboys defense, potentially as a starter. Henderson finished his junior season with 33 tackles, one sack, and 11 passes defended.
What the experts say:
CJ Henderson projects as a starting cornerback at the NFL level. Henderson’s length, ball skills, fluid hips and route recognition give him the ceiling of a Pro Bowl outside cornerback, although he will need to be more selective with some of his aggressive plays in coverage and be more attentive to securing tackles if he is to reach his ceiling. Henderson is ultra sticky at the catch point and his skills are best implemented in press man coverage at the next level.
First and foremost, Henderson plays with outstanding body control. He’s calm, collected and balanced, and when you pair that with his quick feet, it makes for minimal steps when getting in and out of breaks. It also helps Henderson transition smoothly when he flips his hips, and he rarely ends up chasing his opponent. I’m not saying that Henderson doesn’t get beat, but his balance and footwork aid him in recovering so that he can make a play on the receiver when he can’t make a play on the ball. Henderson also appears to play with outstanding instincts. He does a good job of judging the receiver’s release, and never seems to be out of position. Henderson also has a feel for routes. There are times where you see him positioning himself before the receiver has even started to breakdown, and the most common examples were on in-breaking routes.
Silky smooth boundary cornerback with mirror-and-match footwork and the agility and athleticism to stay connected to routes. He has NFL recovery burst and the long speed to track vertical routes downfield. He has the twitchy acceleration to jump a throw and take it away if the quarterback lingers on the target, and he’s quick to wrap and finish after the catch. He makes mental mistakes from time to time and occasionally loses awareness from zone. He’s willing and capable in run support but needs better control as an open-field tackler. Henderson is a fluid cornerback with ball skills and burst and has CB1 ability as a first-rounder.