Jacksonville Jaguars: 3 realistic expectations for CB CJ Henderson in 2021

Will Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback CJ Henderson make the Pro Bowl?

NFL teams project their first-round selection to become difference-makers, but the Jaguars placed extra expectations on Henderson when they made him the ninth overall pick last year. Back in 2019, they traded All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for two first-round selections and a fourth-round selection in 2021.

The Jags won’t say they drafted Henderson with the intention of taking Ramsey’s place but that’s what they did, as the former filled the void Ramsey left when he was traded, so comparing them is normal even though Jacksonville used the first-round picks they got from the Rams on defensive end K’Lavon Chaisson in 2020 and running back Travis Etienne in 2021.

Ramsey was named First-Team All-Pro in his second season but he showed he was a playmaker as early as his rookie campaign back in 2016. Meanwhile, Henderson has displayed flashes but is far from the difference-maker Ramsey was at this point of his career, so expecting him to earn an All-Pro designation in 2021 may be too much to ask. In fact, the odds of him making the Pro Bowl this year aren’t high.

If Henderson keeps growing in 2021, he should become an above-average starter for the Jaguars. However, the Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors will have to wait until 2020. He has the tools to get there, but he still has plenty of work to do before he earns legitimate consideration for individual accolades and recognition.