2020 NFL Draft: Bleacher Report mock has cornerback C.J. Henderson in the Top 10

The 2020 NFL Draft is over eight months away, but if you pay attention to the annual selection ceremony and its build-up, you know the 2020 mock drafts began as soon as the 2019 NFL Draft wrapped up.

Bleacher Report's lead NFL Draft scout Matt Miller released his first mock for the 2020 NFL Draft, and Florida Gators junior cornerback C.J. Henderson was included...

...as the seventh overall selection, going to the Detroit Lions. The draft order copies each team's current Super Bowl odds, putting the Lions in a spot to secure one of the nation's best coverage defenders in Henderson.

Here's Miller's analysis of the mock selection:

The 2020 draft class is loaded at cornerback, which is great news for the Detroit Lions as the team looks to get younger and more aggressive under head coach Matt Patricia. Henderson can be his Stephon Gilmore as an enforcer on the outside of the defense.

Henderson is a fiery and physical cornerback with excellent size and recovery speed. If anything, he might need to tone down his game a little to avoid penalties, but he's an expert at getting into the space and heads of SEC receivers. Coaches, especially those with defensive backgrounds, are going to love him.

Depending on how some young players develop, cornerback might not rank as the biggest need for the Lions. But Henderson is simply too talented to pass up.

Henderson has often been regarded as a potential first-round talent, but this is the highest that any major analyst has ranked the athletic defensive back.

The 6-1, 202 lb. cornerback hasn't allowed a passing touchdown in coverage dating back to his freshman season, and has recorded six interceptions, 10 pass breakups, two forced fumbles, three sacks, and five tackles for loss in just over two seasons. Henderson is a technically-sound defensive back with elite footwork and great mirroring ability, as well as a polished understanding of coverage responsibilities and playing the ball.

Pro Football Focus marked Henderson for allowing a completion percentage of 50% in 2018, with only 18 receptions allowed on 36 targets. Quarterbacks posted a 49.4 passer rating when targeting Henderson last year - for reference, a QB's passer rating would be 39.6 if he spiked the ball into the dirt on every snap of the game. So, targeting Henderson doesn't leave passers much better off than intentionally throwing an incompletion.

Henderson has shown some tackling issues as recently as the Miami game, and that will turn some teams away unless he improves in that facet. However, his ability in coverage makes Henderson appealing as a No. 1 cornerback in the NFL. Should he continue to lock down opposing receivers, expect to hear his name get called early in next April's draft.