49ers big board for 2020 NFL Draft: Bowl games edition
840. . Cornerback. Gators . C.J. Henderson. 12. player
Pros:
- Great hands, catches the ball like he’s a wide receiver
- Long arms mean he can make plays on the ball at almost any angles
- One of the most athletic players in college football, can go step for step with speedy receivers
- Effective blitzer out of the secondary
- Great hips means he can change direction easily when receivers break on their routes
Cons:
- Can get stronger for the NFL, his frame hasn’t filled out yet
- Lacks functional strength for press coverage at the pro level
- Not the most reliable tackler
In the passing era of the NFL, you can never have too many cornerbacks on your roster. Richard Sherman is nearing the end of his career, while the duo of Ahkello Witherspoon and Emmanuel Moseley have little depth behind them.
C.J. Henderson has a reputation as a truly athletic cornerback in college football, but he’s so much more impressive than that.
Henderson is a gangly sort of corner with long arms and blistering speed. He can use his long arms to make plays on the ball no matter where he is in location to the ball, and he doesn’t easily get burned.
He has great blitzing and closing ability, too, for a secondary player, with eight tackles for loss and four sacks in his college career.
His downside however is his strength, which is functional at college level but would be a liability in the pros. He needs to fill out his frame for the next level, which could have potential issues on his explosiveness. How he plays with extra weight is the big question for teams.
He’s not the best tackler, either, but this is more a question of strength more than technique or willingness.
Draft range: First/second round
Where Henderson goes will probably depend on testing. Right now, he seems a good candidate to go on Thursday night. However a poor process could see him slide down boards if teams have concerns over his functional strength at the pro level.