Category: C.J. Henderson

Chad Johnson impressed with C.J. Henderson’s coverage skills after working out together

Chad Johnson finally got his workout with C.J. Henderson and was impressed with what he saw out of the young corner.

The Jacksonville Jaguars first-round selection of Florida cornerback C.J. Henderson was one that could pay off in the near future as they got a splendid man-to-man defender. During his time in Gainesville he was so good at his job that he didn’t allow more than 20 receptions and didn’t give up more than 390 yards during his last three seasons there.

Former NFL star Chad Johnson had to find out just how good the young corner was for himself and set up a workout between himself and Henderson for some one-on-ones with Carolina Panthers quarterback Teddy Bridgewater tagging along. Sure enough, Henderson was up for the challenge and made a believer out of Johnson.

May God be with the Jaguar receivers that have to deal with @HendersonChris_, that mother [expletive] is nice in bump-n-run, even with the small sample size of work today i now understand why he was taken at 9đź”’

Johnson, who has frequently challenged members on the Jags’ roster, reached out to Henderson and Detroit Lions first-round cornerback, Jeff Okudah, after they were drafted in April via Twitter. Due to both being Miami natives, Johnson and Henderson finally made it happen and it appears they had some fun along the way.

Johnson also challenged the Jags second-round pick, Laviska Shenalt Jr., for a workout so he can see what the Colorado receiver is working with and also likely give him some pointers about the position. With the uncertainty as to when players can return to their respective facilities, it wouldn’t be shocking to see the two link up in the near future.

 

6 bold predictions for the Jags’ 2020 rookie class

The Jags are going to need a lot of production out of their rookie class and will even need some of them to overachieve to make the playoffs.

With the 2020 NFL Draft being over for several weeks, we’ve had some time to soak in the rookie class the Jacksonville Jaguars were able to put together. After fixing things in terms of the salary cap, the team wisely made all 12 of their draft selections which could give them a solid nucleus if a majority of their picks pay off.

Needless to say, with Dave Caldwell’s and Doug Marrone’s jobs potentially being on the line, they will need their 2020 class to produce immediately just as their 2019 class did. That said, we came up with four bold predictions for the class (including some for their undrafted players, too) as they have the talent to be big contributors for the franchise if there is football this season.

(AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

C.J. Henderson acquires more picks than Jeff Okudah

Many scouts felt that C.J. Henderson was a better athlete than Jeff Okudah, though Okudah was clearly a better overall player. The comparison between the two will continue into their NFL careers as both were top-10 selections at the cornerback position.

When looking at the Jags’ schedule (ranked 22nd), it’s significantly easier than that Okudah will face as a rookie with the Detroit Lions (ranked fifth). It’s easy to see why as he’ll be tested early in his career facing receivers Davante Adams, Allen Robinson, and Adam Thielen twice in 2020 and will have to deal with the elite receivers from the NFC South in Julio Jones, Mike Evans, and Michael Thomas.

Meanwhile, Henderson could face up to two rookie quarterbacks in Tua Tagovailoa, Justin Herbert, and Joe Burrow. He’ll also have Josh Allen and K’Lavon Chaisson wreacking havoc in the trenches and presenting him ample opportunities to snag some picks during his rookie season.

When the 2020 season is over, I could see Henderson snagging approximately four picks while Okudah may be off by one or two due to the experienced quarterbacks and receivers he’ll face.

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What the nation’s top analysts said about the 2020 Jaguars’ draft class

For the most part it looks like the nation’s journalists like what the Jags did in the 2020 NFL Draft.

The 2020 NFL Draft is in the books and it certainly has been one for the ages.

This year provided an interesting spin on the draft. Due to the social distancing guidelines caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the draft was done virtually with the coaches and player personnel of all 32 teams making their selections from their respective homes. Once the picks were in NFL commissioner Rodger Goodell would then read them off from his home and the rest is history.

The new format didn’t deter viewers as the 2020 NFL Draft would go on to be the highest watched in history as Day 1 and Day 2 would go on to average 11.6 million views, according to Grant Gordon of NFL.com.

The Jacksonville Jaguars were a part of this historic affair as they put together a solid draft that could see them build very well towards the future. While some teams missed the mark with their selections, here is how the nation’s best draft analysts viewed the Jags draft.

Chad Reuter, NFL.com

Overall grade: A

“Jacksonville picked up two star SEC defenders (Henderson and Chaisson) to meet critical needs in the first round, then selected worthwhile prospects in the second (Shenault) and third rounds (Hamilton) to sew up a nice first two days of the draft. They started Day 3 with Bartch, who I thought was worthy of a top-75 selection. He plays with a nasty demeanor, and should be able to line up at tackle or, eventually, slide inside if needed. Scott provides more depth in the secondary. Quarterman’s just a great football player who will start in the middle at some point in his pro career (with the Jags or someone else). Thomas is a better athlete than football player at this point, and is likely a special teamer. Johnson is a nice outside complement to Shenault. Luton will compete for playing time if Gardner Minshew falters in 2020 and should at least be a solid backup in the league for a few years.”

Ryan Dunleavy, New York Post

Grade: A-

“Tear-down-and-rebuild of an elite defense starts with the two first-rounders. Shenault is a creative play-caller’s dream and Bartch is a high-ceiling developmental project.”

Mark Maske,  Washington Post

Grade: B+

“The Jaguars seem firmly in rebuilding mode, and they pushed that process along. They landed the draft’s second-best CB, CJ Henderson, and its second-best pass rusher, K’Lavon Chaisson, in the first round. They participated in the run on WRs with the second-round choice of Laviska Shenault Jr. About all that went wrong is that the Jaguars did not find a team willing to trade for RB Leonard Fournette or pass rusher Yannick Ngakoue.

Justin Leger of Yahoo Sports writes


Grade: B

 “Henderson is a perfect pick for Jacksonville after parting ways with Jalen Ramsey and A.J. Bouye. Combine that with Chaisson at No. 20, and those are two huge additions to the Jags defense. Taking Shenault on Day 2 filled another need at wide receiver, and Hamilton bolsters their run defense. One of the better picks for Jacksonville on Day 3 was Scott, another nice addition to the secondary. Overall, a busy and effective draft for a rebuilding Jaguars squad.”

Pete Prisco, CBSSports.com (grade on Florida cornerback C.J. Henderson)

Jacksonville Jaguars: B+

“I love him because he can cover. There are so many guys in the NFL that I talked to leading up to the draft that thought he was better than Okudah.”

Nate Davis, USA TODAY

Grade: C+

“Seems they’re building toward 2021 – Trevor Lawrence? – but nevertheless picked reputable players, including first-round CB C.J. Henderson, who should address a glaring need following Ramsey’s departure. Pass rusher K’Lavon Chaisson (Round 1) – taken with a pick obtained for Ramsey – and WR Laviska Shenault Jr. (Round 2) could need a transition year, which isn’t a knock but adds to the feel that this club is in a weird limbo. Speaking of which, disgruntled DE Yannick Ngakoue remains.”

Overall, the media received the Jaguars selections very well which could be an encouraging sign for things to come. It has been a tumultuous few weeks in Jacksonville with disgruntled defensive end Yannick Ngakoue battling with management and numerous accusations of the organization tanking for current Clemson star quarterback Trevor Lawrence.

However, the Jaguars can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that they did a solid job putting together a good, young team that could potentially compete sooner than people may think.

Highlights of every Jaguars selection in 2020 NFL draft

With the 2020 NFL Draft wrapped up, here are highlights of each selection.

Seven draftees on defense and five on offense. That’s the ratio the Jacksonville Jaguars finished with when all of their 2020 NFL Draft selections were made.

To open the draft on Day 1, the Jags selected two Southeastern Conference defenders in C.J. Henderson and K’Lavon Chaisson. On Day 2 they finally went offense by taking receiver Laviska Shenault Jr. but ended the day by going back to the defensive side with defensive tackle DaVon Hamilton.

In round four the acquired some help on the offensive line by selecting Ben Bartch, then closed the round with two more defensive selections in linebacker Shaq Quarterman and cornerback Josiah Scott. In round five they added a player on each side of the ball by taking safety Daniel Thomas, then receiver Collin Johnson.

In the sixth round, they finally went all offense by snagging quarterback Jake Luton and tight end Tyler Davis and their last selection, taking in round seven, was another defensive back in Chris Claybrooks.

Here’s a set of highlights for all 12 picks made by general manager Dave Caldwell on Thursday and the weekend:

1.9: CB C.J. Henderson, Florida

1.20: EDGE K’Lavon Chaisson, Louisiana State

2.42: WR Laviska Shenault Jr., Colorado

3.72: DT DaVon Hamilton, Ohio State

4.116: OL Ben Bartch, St. John