Florida cornerback C.J. Henderson has become a polarizing player in the 2020 NFL Draft. Here is a scouting report on the former Gator.
Have you ever heard of the phrase ‘speed kills?’, that fits University of Florida cornerback C.J. Henderson’s description to a “T”. Henderson is a lockdown cornerback that will be a force to be reckoned with at the next level and in the 2020 NFL Draft. The Florida cornerback has some stand out abilities that the coaches and the scouts will be looking for the next level. I am really excited to see what this speedy cornerback does at the next level.
C.J. Henderson Strengths
Henderson is a very good cornerback prospect coming out of Florida. His sticky coverage ability is what I think sets himself apart from everyone else. With his 6’1 frame, he is slightly above average on the height side at the cornerback position. Henderson is not afraid to play man-to-man but would prefer playing in the zone schemes better.
Henderson’s speed at the cornerback position is something special. At the NFL Combine, he could have one of the fastest 40-yard dashes out of the players that do attend. Henderson’s jump ball abilities are something that he takes very seriously. On his tape, over the years Henderson has been getting better and better and better on reading his jump balls. Now it is one of his attributes that makes him stand out from some of the other cornerback prospects.
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C.J. Henderson Weaknesses
From watching his tape, he gets called for pass interference a lot. When he is playing a slower possession type receiver, he also catches up to him and either runs right into them or makes a good play on the ball. If Henderson can learn to time his jump ball better or if he can not get his head around on time, it will be a long day for him.
Another issue I found when watching his tape was Henderson had a tendency to look more at the quarterback’s eyes than actually looking at the man he was supposed to be guarding, the receiver. Henderson gets sucked into all the misdirection in this backfield than gets burner over the top. The last thing that I saw on tape is that he is a physical corner but he is lacking strength. If Henderson can start hitting the weight room and put some meat on his 202 pound self, then whoever drafts him show be just fine.
C.J. Henderson Projection
You have watched Henderson’s tape then you know he is NFL ready. You also know that his strengths compensate for his weaknesses most of the time. In my last mock draft, he is projected to go later in the first round. With the talent he has, that could be a steal for any team.