Niner Noise
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2020 NFL Draft: 3 defensive players 49ers target with second Round 1 pick

By Peter Panacy

"THE PICK IS IN" for the San Francisco 49ers during the 2018 NFL Draft (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
"THE PICK IS IN" for the San Francisco 49ers during the 2018 NFL Draft (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /
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C.J. Henderson, Florida Gators
Cornerback C.J. Henderson #5 of the Florida Gators (Photo by Don Juan Moore/Getty Images) /

840. . Cornerback. Gators . C.J. Henderson. 1. player

If Florida cornerback C.J. Henderson falls to No. 31 in the NFL Draft, the 49ers shouldn’t hesitate.

Granted, the Niners could say that about a number of players, particularly Xavier McKinney or perhaps even Grant Delpit. But Henderson is a player who should rest squarely on San Francisco’s big board this April.

Pretty high up, too.

C.J. Henderson Defense & Fumbles Table
Tackles Def Int Fumbles
Year School Conf Class Pos G Solo Ast Tot Loss Sk Int Yds Avg TD PD FR Yds TD FF
2017 Florida SEC FR CB 9 14 8 22 0.0 0.0 4 82 20.5 2 4 0 0
*2018 Florida SEC SO DB 12 26 12 38 5.0 3.0 2 0 0.0 0 5 0 2
*2019 Florida SEC JR DB 9 26 7 33 3.0 1.0 0 0 0 11 0 0
Career Florida 66 27 93 8.0 4.0 6 82 13.7 2 20 0 2

Provided by CFB at Sports Reference: View Original Table
Generated 3/10/2020.

One could make an easy argument Henderson is the top corner in this year’s draft behind Ohio State’s Jeffrey Okudah. And there’s probably some rationale to suggest the 6-foot-1, 204-pound Henderson could wind up being even better at the pro level than his Buckeye counterpart.

Either way, Jefferson shined at the NFL Combine with an outstanding 4.39 40-yard time, backing it up with a solid 20 reps on the 225-pound bench press. The combination of speed and strength will be hard to pass up, should he somehow fall to No. 31 and into the 49ers range.

Jefferson’s patience and ball skills resulted in 11 passes defended last year, and he has a knack for matching more complex routes.

Those traits could push him into the middle of Round 1. But if he’s sitting there on the board when the Niners pick, it’ll be hard for John Lynch to pass him up for a would-be trade down.

Next. 3 dream scenarios for 49ers in 2020 NFL Draft. dark

The 2020 NFL Draft kicks off on Thursday, April 23.