These Jacksonville Jaguars should be pleased with rookie CB CJ Henderson

The Jacksonville Jaguars should be pleased with C.J. Henderson’s play so far.

We don’t blame you if you feel disappointed with how the Jacksonville Jaguars have played so far in 2020. In fact, what looked like a formidable squad in the first week of the 2020 season has dropped six straight games. Both the ‘Jags’ offense and defense have struggled and there aren’t many things to highlight. However, there have been some bright spots and cornerback C.J. Henderson‘s performance in his rookie campaign has been one of them.

Back in this year’s draft, the Jaguars had their choice of players with the ninth overall pick. They could have gone in any direction they wanted with the selection but they went with Henderson. In retrospect, they made the right choice and the returns have been favorable as in the first seven weeks of the season.

What has C.J. accomplished for the Jacksonville Jaguars so far?

After trading Jalen Ramsey to the Los Angeles Rams last year and A.J. Bouye to the Denver Broncos this past offseason, the ‘Jags’ had a pressing need at the cornerback position. Before 2020’s players selection process, Matt Miller of Bleacher Report described the Gator standout as a special cornerback prospect with the height, weight, length, speed and overall athleticism to thrive at the NFL level. Although Henderson has not been special in his first pro-campaign, he has been solid.

So far, Henderson has started six games in 2020 and registered one interception, four pass deflections, and 29 total tackles. While he missed the Jaguars Week 5 matchup against the Houston Texans with a shoulder injury, he was back in the lineup the following week.

While it’s true that Henderson has allowed 26 completions in 39 targets for a 66.7 completion rate, most of that happened against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 7. In that game, the rookie gave up eight completions and 103 yards, which accounts for almost one-third of the completions and yards he’s surrender in the year.  On the bright side, he didn’t give up a single touchdown pass.

Before the game against the ‘Bolts’, Henderson had allowed just 198 yards on 18 completions. Also, he’s surrendered just two touchdowns in six games, so he must be doing something right. He will have a chance to redeem himself against the struggling Houston Texas team and he should. Even though the rookie hasn’t performed at a Pro Bowl level, he’s shown enough flashes to make the team’s brass believe he will do it sooner or later.