Carolina Finalizing Trade for Former Gators CB CJ Henderson
A former Florida Gator-turned-NFL first-round pick is on the move.
The Jacksonville Jaguars are trading former Gators cornerback C.J. Henderson to the Carolina Panthers, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
Henderson was Jacksonville's first-round selection, with the ninth overall pick, just one year ago in the 2020 NFL Draft. Henderson appeared in eight games as a rookie and another two in his second season with the team before being dealt, starting each game and accumulating 44 tackles, including one for loss, one interception and six pass breakups.
The Jaguars will net tight end Dan Arnold and a third-round pick in the trade, per Rapoport. Jacksonville will also send Carolina a fifth-round pick.
Henderson missed the final seven games of his rookie season due to a groin injury. He proceeded to miss a significant portion of training camp and the 2021 preseason following surgery on his labrum and after being placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list this summer, setting the cornerback back as new head coach Urban Meyer - another former Gator - began to build up his new program.
As such, Henderson's name popped up in trade talks before the regular season began. Those talks seemingly died off as Henderson started the first two games of the year, but he would miss the third game of the season with an illness, and within days, a trade came to fruition.
During his three years at UF, Henderson recorded 93 tackles, four sacks, eight tackles for loss, six interceptions, 20 pass breakups, and two forced fumbles.
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