Former Pro Cornerback Views C.J. Henderson as No. 1 CB in NFL Draft
Between now and late April, expect to see loads of projections, rankings, and mock drafts ahead of the 2020 NFL Draft.
That is, so long as the NFL Draft still proceeds as planned, set to begin on April 23rd though of course the event will be monitored amidst the global COVID-19 pandemic. But with both analysts and fans hunkering down in their homes to prevent spread, surely each and every NFL and NFL Draft fan will be compiling their own analysis.
Former NFL and AFL cornerback Eric Crocker is in that group. The former New York Jets and four-year Arena Football League CB, known on Twitter for his "Press Coverage with CrockTime" account which analyzes wide receiver and cornerback play in both the NFL and college, Crocker has begun to release his cornerback big board for the upcoming selection ceremony.
And unlike most draft analysts, Crocker believes Florida Gators cornerback C.J. Henderson is the top cornerback in the 2020 class, over the likes of almost consensus CB1 Jeff Okudah of Ohio State, and others.
"I broke down C.J. Henderson against, pretty much [LSU wide receiver and unanimous All-American] Ja'Marr Chase, but C.J. Henderson vs. LSU's offense," Crocker said to lead off his thorough breakdown of Henderson's game on Twitter. "I was very, very, very detailed throughout this breakdown on things that I would coach him up on, like if I'm in the coaches' room these are things that I would point out. The one takeaway I had was that everything he did wrong, at least in this game, 100% fixable, or coachable."
At the NFL Combine, Henderson, who stood at 6-1, 204 lbs., clocked a 4.39 40 yard dash among other eye-catching results during the athletic testing portion of the event. That type of speed for a boundary cornerback isn't easy to find, and to Crocker, it's part of what makes Henderson his CB1.
Crocker spoke with AllGators to provide a thorough scouting report on the former Florida standout, highlighting several important clips that he shared on Twitter and expanding on his reasoning.
Speed
As Crocker notes, Henderson isn't fully set at the snap on the above play, covering Chase. While it's important to be in position at the next level especially, Henderson has the ability to recover pretty easily.
"When you've got freak athleticism, sometimes everything doesn't have to be perfect" Crocker summed up on the play above. "When you run a 4.39, that's why it bumps him up a little bit because, now, even when I'm not playing my technique perfect, or I find myself in a vulnerable position, I don't have to panic. I don't have to panic, you know why? Because I'm fast."
Zone eyes
On this zone coverage play, Henderson drops back after the lone receiver to his side drags across the middle of the field. Now open to make a play in his area of the playing field, Henderson opens his hips to the playing field to process the rest of the play and picks up on a developing deep crossing route coming his way.
"If the quarterback tries to fit this in right here, he's robbing that," said Crocker. "I like what he was thinking here."
Henderson has been knocked in the draft process for a lack of forced turnovers, accumulating only six interceptions across 30 games played. But with instincts to break on routes like in the clip above, Crocker doesn't see his lack of turnovers as an issue.
"I thought he played the ball well," Crocker told AllGators. "Ideally you want interceptions, but remember [Los Angeles Rams cornerback] Jalen Ramsey had three interceptions in college, zero in his last year. Henderson has six. Interceptions are tricky, my rookie year in the AFL I had three, and in my second year, I had 11. Sometimes, they just come in bunches."
Press coverage
Henderson is comfortable pressing receivers at the line of scrimmage and even as a nickel cornerback in a more confined space, which allows him to thrive in man coverage on top of his zone capabilities.
Crocker notes that he wants to see more consistent confidence from Henderson in his play, as it will allow him to reach his potential as an all-around cornerback who can hold up consistently in press-man coverage. Confidence can be seen at its best use in Henderson's game in the clip above.
"I think confidence is huge at the cornerback position," said Crocker. "Every time you line up across from the receiver you have to truly believe 'I’m better than you', even if things aren’t going your way that game. You are one play away from being the hero.
"I think that’s that makes Okudah so good. Consistency," Crocker continued. "And he doesn’t have as much natural ability as Henderson."
Tackling
The biggest ding on Henderson's draft résumé is the tackling that he put on tape during the 2019 season, or lack thereof. There were plenty of moments where it looked like Henderson wasn't forcing himself off of blocks or would pull up early when attempting to make tackles, which has made analysts skeptical of his all-around play.
Crocker acknowledged that, while tackling is an issue right now for Henderson, it too is coachable given his natural ability.
"When I talk about ability, and that's what I love about him so much is he has the ability, now the biggest knock on him so far has been his tackling," Crocker continued.
"Just make the tackle, it doesn't have to be a big hit. He shot out of a cannon, good feet, you saw how quick he diagnosed it, very well. Now, just make the tackle... he has all of the ability in the world. Make the tackle there, I like how you saw it. I like the zone eyes. Now you've just got to make the play."
Team fit
Crocker went on to tell AllGators what he believes would be the best team fit for Henderson, without regards to the draft order.
"I think the narrative is that he’s just a press-man guy but I think he’s definitely scheme-versatile," Crocker began. "Ideally he’d be great with what Patriots do. A ton of man match up stuff. I love their defense."
The Patriots currently own the No. 23 overall pick in the upcoming draft, just outside of the top 20 where Henderson is projected to slide. However, a team such as the Miami Dolphins, who's head coach Brian Flores served Bill Belichick and the Patriots from 2004-18, would make sense with the 18th overall pick.
