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In his final mock draft, ESPN analyst Mel Kiper had Florida cornerback CJ Henderson going 12th overall to the Las Vegas Raiders.
He cracked the top 10 instead.
The Jacksonville Jaguars selected Henderson with the No. 9 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft on Thursday. Kiper acknowledged his high-ankle sprain as a junior, but praised his cover skills and production despite the injury.
“He had that ankle injury early on, kind of hampered him a little bit,” Kiper said of Henderson on ESPN. “But he is a talented cover corner. That’s where he’s going to make the money in the NFL. He’s going to be asked to shut down receivers.
“Even this past season when he had the injury with the ankle, he still finished top on the team with 11 pass breakups. His forte is coverage ability and that’s what you’re looking for.”
The Miami native was the second CB to come off the board, with Ohio State’s Jeff Okudah going third overall to Detroit. Henderson is considered a better cover corner than Okudah, but needs to tackle better at the next level.
“Tackling has to improve. He’s got to be a little bit more aggressive,” Kiper said of Henderson. “You gotta tackle those receivers after the catch and support the run. But in coverage, six interceptions in his career, 22 pass breakups.”
Cornerback was Jacksonville’s biggest need in the draft after trading A.J. Bouye and Jalen Ramsey, the No. 5 overall pick for the Jaguars in 2016. ESPN analyst Louis Riddick also chimed on Henderson after Kiper’s comments.
“The Jacksonville Jaguars no longer have Jalen Ramsey. They no longer have A.J. Bouye. I can tell you, this C.J. Henderson is one of those types of guys,” Riddick said. “He can match up with your best wide receiver and will shadow him all over the field. He did that this year. He followed Ja’Marr Chase on just about every snap that he could when they played LSU. He’s a guy that’s proficient playing both in press and in off.
“He has the feet to line up in press and shadow you at the line of scrimmage and then run with you downfield. He has the hips and the eyes to play from off and play all the different coverage packages that you want to play. He just needs to be more consistent at the catch point, but he’s a guy who’s supremely, supremely talented and fits the mold of the kind of cornerbacks who have played in Jacksonville.”
