Which No. 1 Wide Receivers Will Jaguars' Top Rookie CJ Henderson See in 2020?
When a team drafts a cornerback in the top-10 of any NFL Draft, they are sending a message loud and clear: they see him as their new No. 1 cover man.
For the Jacksonville Jaguars and CJ Henderson, who they drafted with the No. 9 overall pick last month, this is once again the case. Henderson will have to earn his way onto the field for the Jaguars in training camp, but he is the early favorite to place atop of the Jaguars' depth chart at the positon. Jalen Ramsey followed No. 1 wide receivers as a rookie in 2016, and Henderson may find himself in the same position.
“I really feel like you have someone that you could put on a no. 1 receiver, and the reason why I believe that is because C.J. has speed," head coach Doug Marrone said after the Jaguars drafted Henderson.
"Sometimes these no. 1 receivers may be smaller, fast guys. C.J. is big, also physical in press so you can put him on the bigger, stronger receivers, so I felt that he’s a great fit, a guy that can truly be a no. 1 corner and can take guys out of the game. Because sometimes you get these corners that are really big and strong, but they get these fast guys and sometimes they don’t want to press them. C.J. is big and strong and he can run, and he has a ton of range and he has a ton of makeup speed and he has a ton of burst."
So, if Henderson is given the task of trailing the top receiver each week, or at least rotating between the top two options with another cornerback, which wide receivers can we expect to see him line up against this season? We go through the list of each of the Jaguars' opponent's top wideouts to determine the answer and give our own perspective.
Week 1: Indianapolis Colts @ Jaguars, Sept. 13 at 1 p.m. eastern.
No. 1 WR: T.Y. Hilton.
No. 2 WR: Michael Pittman.
Henderson is going to have an interesting Week 1 considering the completely different styles of T.Y. Hilton and Michael Pittman. Hilton wins with agility and explosiveness at every level of the field, while Pittman is more of a technician who wins with physicality. Henderson will have to use his quickness vs. one, and his size vs. the other.
Week 2: Jaguars @ Tennessee Titans, Sept. 20 at 1 p.m. eastern.
No. 1 WR: A.J. Brown.
No. 2 WR: Corey Davis.
The Titans have one of the more intriguing wide receiver duos in the NFL and should present a rather difficult matchup for Henderson and the rest of the Jaguars' secondary. A.J. Brown caught 52 passes for 1,051 yards and eight touchdowns last season, becoming a big-play threat and yards after catch demon. Meanwhile, veteran Corey Davis has had a disappointing start to his career, but he has the size (6-foot-3) and speed to create mismatches against smaller cornerbacks.
Week 3: Miami Dolphins @ Jaguars, Sept. 24 at 8:20 p.m. eastern.
No. 1 WR: DeVante Parker.
No. 2 WR: Albert Wilson.
If Henderson isn't asked to follow DeVante Parker around the entire field in Week 3, it would be a shock. He is the Jaguars' cornerback best equipped to fight Parker's size and leaping ability, while the rest of the Dolphins' wide receiver group is below-average and poses no real threat.
Week 4: Jaguars @ Cincinnati Bengals, Oct. 4 at 1 p.m. eastern.
No. 1 WR: A.J. Green.
No. 2 WR: Tyler Boyd.
Tee Higgins is more talented than Tyler Boyd, but expect for Boyd to get more attention early on in the season as Higgins develops. Henderson should be on Green most of the time as Boyd will be in the slot more often than not, and this will be a great "crafty veteran vs. emerging rookie" matchup.
Week 5: Jaguars @ Houston Texans, Oct. 11 at 1 p.m. eastern.
No. 1 WR: Brandin Cooks.
No. 2 WR: Will Fuller.
This order could be swapped without much debate, but Tre Herndon did a solid job vs. Will Fuller in his first NFL start in Week 2 last season, while Cooks is a more explosive short-area player who Henderson is best suited to play across. It is a shame we won't get to see DeAndre Hopkins build a rivalry with Henderson like he did with Ramsey, but maybe Henderson can carve out his own story vs. the Texans.
Week 6: Detroit Lions @ Jaguars, Oct. 18 at 1 p.m. eastern.
No. 1 WR: Kenny Golladay.
No. 2 WR: Marvin Jones.
Kenny Golladay is a height/weight/speed freak, so look for Henderson to matchup with him for most of the game. These are two players who are elite athletes and can jump out of the gym, so this could be one of the most exciting receiver vs. cornerback battles on the Jaguars' entire schedule.
Week 7: Bye week.
Week 8: Jaguars @ Los Angeles Chargers, Nov. 1 at 4:05 p.m. eastern.
No. 1 WR: Keenan Allen.
No. 2 WR: Mike Williams.
There isn't a cornerback in the NFL who wouldn't struggle when it comes to covering Keenan Allen. He is one of the best route runners of his generation and can line up all over the formation. Because of this, the Jaguars could opt to put more of a veteran presence over Allen and opt to deploy Henderson's size vs. the 6-foot-4 Mike Williams.
Week 9: Houston Texans @ Jaguars, Nov. 8 at 1 p.m. eastern.
See Week 5.
Week 10: Jaguars @ Green Bay Packers, Nov. 15 at 1 p.m. eastern.
No. 1 WR: Davante Adams.
No. 2 WR: Allen Lazard.
There isn't another team on here that has as wide of a gap between its top receiver and its second-best wideout. Davante Adams is a top-six receiver who can win with both his size and with some of the best routes in the NFL. It wouldn't make much sense for the Jaguars to not attempt to have Henderson follow him, though it wouldn't be shocking to see him struggle.
Week 11: Pittsburgh Steelers @ Jaguars, Nov. 22 at 1 p.m. eastern.
No. 1 WR: JuJu Smith-Schuster.
No. 2 WR: James Washington.
Diontae Thompson and potentially rookie receiver Chase Claypool could be the Steelers' No. 2 wideout by the time the Jaguars play the Steelers, but it makes the most sense for Henderson to shadow Smith-Schuster no matter who lines up on the other side of the offense. He is a bigger body who has great athleticism, so deploying a similar style of athlete such as Henderson against him makes sense.
Week 12: Cleveland Browns @ Jaguars, Nov. 29 at 1 p.m. eastern.
No. 1 WR: Odell Beckham Jr.
No. 2 WR: Jarvis Landry.
Odell Beckham Jr. had a down year in 2019, but he is still one of the most explosive wide receivers in the NFL who can change a game with one single big play. Across from him is Jarvis Landry, who is significantly less explosive but maybe just as crafty with the ball in his hands thanks to his toughness and smarts. Henderson should see time against both, though Landry playing in the slot some would slide Henderson over to OBJ.
Week 13: Jaguars @ Minnesota Vikings, Dec. 6 at 1 p.m. eastern.
No. 1 WR: Adam Theilen.
No. 2 WR: Justin Jefferson.
After considering LSU wide receiver Justin Jefferson at No. 20 overall, the Jaguars will get a chance to potentially see their own top pick fare against him in December. Jefferson and Adam Theilen both have outside and slot capabilities so Henderson would likely see snaps against both of them as the offense adjusts throughout the game.
Week 14: Tennesee Titans @ Jaguars, Dec. 13 at 1 p.m. eastern.
See Week 2.
Week 15: Jaguars @ Baltimore Ravens, Dec. 20 at 1 p.m. eastern.
No. 1 WR: Marquise Brown.
No. 2 WR: Willie Snead.
Marquise Brown and his game-breaking speed are the only real threats the Ravens have in terms of wide receivers, so Henderson and his 4.39 40-yard dash speed should be matched up with him for all four quarters. No other Jaguars' cornerback has the speed Henderson does, and the Jaguars can't afford to let Brown get even one mismatch on the day.
Week 16: Chicago Bears @ Jaguars, Dec. 27 at 1 p.m. eastern.
No. 1 WR: Allen Robinson.
No. 2 WR: Anthony Miller.
The Bears have a number of veteran options on the outside across from Allen Robinson, but slot receiver Anthony Miller is still their second-most talented wideout. Regardless, Robinson is one of the NFL's best wide receivers thanks to his size, ability to dominate at the catch point, and maybe the most underrated route running skills in the league. The Jaguars shouldn't let Robinson out of Henderson's sights.
Week 17: Jaguars @ Indianapolis Colts, Jan. 3 at 1 p.m. eastern.
See Week 1.
