CJ Henderson is rightly considered among the premier cornerbacks in the 2020 draft class and will have the chance to show why against Miami this weekend.
When the Florida Gators face off with the Miami Hurricanes on Saturday, CJ Henderson will arguably be the best player on the field.
Henderson has earned a reputation as one of the premier cornerbacks likely to enter the 2020 NFL Draft, and that status is more justified. Through two seasons with the Gators, Henderson has racked up six interceptions — two returned for touchdowns — and nine pass deflections.
Those numbers owe to a skillset ideally suited to becoming a No. 1 boundary corner at the next level. Henderson has the physical ability and the instincts to excel at one of the game’s toughest positions for a long time.
.At 6’1″ and 202 pounds, Henderson boasts the prototypical size for the position and has the athleticism to go with it.
Henderson possesses swift feet and exceptionally fluid hips, which allow him to change direction effortlessly and mirror receivers to maintain tight coverage. He also does an excellent job of hand-fighting with wideouts to stay in position, but it is in making plays on the ball where Henderson most excels.
Still only a junior, Henderson has already developed superb instincts. He can read the eyes of the quarterback to undercut routes and occupy the throwing lane and gets a great drive on the ball.
CJ Henderson just wants to win a National Championship, all in for his team.https://t.co/5l0wJwuiNk
— PFF (@PFF) August 22, 2019
PFF's Austin Gayle (@PFF_AustinGayle) explains why the Florida CB wants nothing more than to bring a Championship to Gainesville. pic.twitter.com/l9QTwcpwfM
A tremendous competitor at the catch point who finds the ball early, Henderson consistently puts himself in position to make the play by getting his hands inside the frame of the receiver. Even when the receiver makes a catch, Henderson will fight all the way to the ground to prevent a completion.
There are, of course, imperfections to Henderson’s game. More physical receivers have been able to use the power in their hands to generate separation against him at the line of scrimmage. However, Henderson’s recovery speed often allows him to eat up that ground in a hurry.
He has also demonstrated inconsistencies as a tackler, but in truth, it is tough to find too many faults in a corner who takes impressive pursuit angles to the football and has shown significant blitzing upside. Henderson had three sacks and five tackles for loss last year.
Miami will try to expose some deficiencies in a high-profile college football opener. However, the Hurricanes figure to have a hard time doing so against a player for whom a strong junior year could mean a top-10 selection in the draft.