Film Review: CJ Henderson Shows Off Physical Side Vs. Packers

When the Jacksonville Jaguars drafted Florida cornerback CJ Henderson at No. 9 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft, most reactions were the same.

He had the size, speed and ball production to go top-10. But did he have the physicality that is required at the NFL level? With the biggest critique of Henderson coming out of Florida being his tackling, this was the question many were asking after April.

But through nine games, Henderson has flipped that narrative upside down. While he is going through the natural ups and downs that any rookie cornerback will experience in coverage, he has done more than enough to prove that not only does he have the required physicality, but he has it in bunches.

Henderson's aggressive and physical brand of football was on display in spurts throughout the first few months of his rookie year, but there was no greater display of his willingness to use his size and strength to make plays on the ball than in Week 10 vs. the Green Bay Packers.

Henderson wasn't perfect in Week 10, of course, but he shouldn't be expected to be. He had the toughest matchup a cornerback could ask for in 2020, being tasked with following star receiver Davante Adams for much of the game.

And while he did allow a touchdown in coverage, Henderson put to rest any concerns about his physicality. He missed one key tackle on third down on Jamaal Williams but otherwise had a perfectly sound day as a tackler and as a defender willing to exert his force.

By doing so, Henderson showed that his skill set is multiple and increasingly valuable. To show how Henderson did this, we picked four plays from Sunday's matchup between him and Adams that encapsulated his growth as a physical cornerback.

Play No. 1: Henderson forces the PBU

Considering Adams has dropped just four passes in 81 targets this season, it isn't the easiest thing in the world to force him to not catch a pass once it hits his hands. Sidney Jones forced a pass breakup on Adams earlier in the game by making a timely swat on the ball, but Henderson got his pass breakup in ... a different way.

#Jaguars CB CJ Henderson had a really, really physical game in Week 10. They should be happy with where he is at imo pic.twitter.com/tE9mn6HR7O
— John Shipley (@_John_Shipley) November 19, 2020

With the Packers coming out with an empty formation, the outside receiver runs a short hitch route to draw Kamalei Correa's attention and open a window for Adams. Adams runs a curl route that is a few yards short of 15 yards from the line of scrimmage, and Aaron Rodgers gets the ball to him on time.

Henderson plays it perfectly. While the coverage called would allow for Adams to have the soft spot in the zone, Henderson delivers a bone-crushing tackle and makes contact through the ball to force the incompletion on third down. If not for the hit being as intense as it was, Adams gets the first down.

Play No. 2: Henderson makes the tackle near the goal line

On second down near their own goal line, the Packers went with a safe play to get the ball into the hands of Adams. They throw him a quick screen, with his only real task being to break a tackle and pick up yards after the catch. As the play shows, Adams likely has a giant gain if he can get past the first defender.

The first defender is Henderson, however, and the rookie corner showed why the perception that he is an unwilling tackler may be off. His technique isn't always consistent, but he brings it on this rep. He squares up with Adams to ensure he maintains the proper leverage and then closes in too quickly for Adams to make a move. This is a good, fundamentally sound play from a rookie corner.

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— John Shipley (@_John_Shipley) November 19, 2020

Play No. 3: Henderson pins Adams to the sideline

Some, like Adams, may have been looking for the penalty flag on this rep, but it was a good showing from Henderson. He stayed patient and square at the line of scrimmage, not allowing Adams to stack him and win outside. He then maintains his physicality throughout the route by forcing Adams more and more to the sideline, decreasing his chances of tracking down Rodgers' deep pass significantly.

The weather and winds likely played a factor in this incompletion, but this was Henderson showing good technique while also not allowing Adams to bully him on a deep ball.

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— John Shipley (@_John_Shipley) November 19, 2020

Play No. 4: Henderson forces a fumble

Arguably the biggest play any Jaguars defender made on Sunday, this was a great job by Henderson of not only showing good effort but also of him being able to make a play after the catch.

Henderson gets predictably beat inside by Adams on this slant. While one would never want to give up an explosive play, Adams is likely the toughest receiver in the league to cover on slants due to his size and elite releases off the line.

Such is the case here, but Henderson's aggressiveness ensures that Adams isn't able to finish off the play. He tracks Adams down the field and then utilizes a perfectly timed and forced punch to bring the ball out of his hands, resulting in a fumble recovery by the Jaguars.

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— John Shipley (@_John_Shipley) November 19, 2020

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