2020 NFL Draft: Grades for all 32 first-round picks
Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. player. 52. CJ Henderson. 9. Cornerback. Florida
Grade: A-
It was obvious coming into the 2020 NFL Draft that the Jacksonville Jaguars needed to address their secondary. They’ve traded away Jalen Ramsey and A.J. Bouye in the last year, leaving them with little impact talent outside at cornerback.
Hence, the selection of CJ Henderson here at No. 9.
There were some folks who believed Henderson was the top cornerback talent in the 2020 draft class. While I’m not in that group, I don’t deny that the Florida product is a premier cover man with the potential to develop into a lockdown cornerback. He boasts terrific ball skills and has the size teams love in modern corners, so the fit is fine.
The Jaguars have a long way to go to return to relevance. Finding a solution at cornerback, though, is a strong step in the right direction. Henderson gives Jacksonville a young, exciting option on the outside who can help improve a pass defense that deteriorated rapidly.