Draft Wire lists rising CB prospect C.J. Henderson as a surprise pick for Jags

There could be some surprises early in next week’s NFL Draft and the Jags taking C.J. Henderson would be one in the eyes of some.

The 2020 NFL Draft is officially a week away and fans should expect some surprises during Day 1’s selections. Last year, it was the Oakland Raiders taking Clelin Ferrell fourth overall and the New York Giants going with Daniel Jones earlier than expected (No. 6) amongst notables.

To prepare fans for any chaos that could happen early in the draft, our Draft Wire comrade, Luke Easterling, looked at some surprising picks for the top-10 selections. Coming in at the No. 9 pick for the Jags was Florida cornerback C.J. Henderson, whose name has garnered a lot of buzz lately.

9. Jacksonville Jaguars

CJ Henderson | CB | Florida

There are plenty of attractive options for the Jags in this scenario. They could keep the offensive tackle run going with Mekhi Becton, improve their run defense with Derrick Brown, or even take the first receiver off the board.

Henderson has an ideal combination of height and length, with the athleticism, ball skills and confidence to quickly develop into a corner that pro quarterbacks do their best to avoid. This isn’t a name people are used to seeing in the top 10, but don’t be shocked if that ends up happening.

The Jags lost arguably the best cornerback duo in football over the span of five months, so make no mistake about it, they need a cornerback. When looking at the massive hole left by A.J. Bouye and Jalen Ramsey, selecting Henderson wouldn’t be a shocker.

Additionally, it wouldn’t be a surprise when looking at the Jags’ draft history with taking players from the University of Florida. Of his seven draft classes, two of Dave Caldwell’s first-round picks have come from the University of Florida. The first was Dante Fowler Jr. in 2015 and the second was Taven Bryan in 2018.

However, Henderson’s selection at No. 9 would shock the football community from a projection standpoint. He’s long been viewed as a top-15 to top-25 prospect by some analysts but his coverage skills are quite impressive. For the Jags, he may be just what the doctor ordered as they’ve gone through some drastic changes at corner and need a new No. 1 guy.