The Jacksonville Jaguars weren’t very good in 2020. Although there were some bright spots here and there, they lacked both talent and direction and ended up losing 15 straight games. Moreover, they ranked near the cellar of most meaningful offensive and defensive categories.
The Jags’ defense couldn’t stop opposing offenses from scoring at ease and gave up less than 24 points games just once last season. Coincidentally, they won that game, the season opener against the Indianapolis Colts but went on to allow at least 30 points the following six games and gave up 140 points in the last four weeks of the year.
While former defensive coordinator Todd Wash didn’t put his players in a position to succeed, you need to take into consideration that he didn’t have much talent to work with. Key contributors such as defensive end Josh Allen, and linebacker Myles Jack missed time with injuries. Moreover, this Jacksonville team didn’t get much production from their two 2020 first-round selections, EDGE defender K’Lavon Chaisson and cornerback C.J. Henderson.
In particular, Henderson had some solid games but was a liability in others and missed the second half of the season with a groin injury. Although the Florida product showed promise in his rookie campaign, the team’s brass surely expected more from him last year, so what kind of expectations should the Jags set for the sophomore cornerback in 2021?
A Pro Bowl designation? How many interceptions and passes defended should Henderson post this upcoming season? Here are three realistic expectations for the cornerback in his sophomore campaign.
How many games will Henderson start for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2021?
C.J. Henderson started for the Jaguars since Day 1 and played eight consecutive games before he missed the following eight. Moreover, he underwent a labrum shoulder injury this offseason. On the bright side, head coach Urban Meyer says the corner’s rehab is going well and described him as talented and a “wonderful young man”.
If the 2020 first-round selection doesn’t suffer any setbacks, he should start at cornerback again and free-agent addition Shaquill Griffin will likely lineup opposite of him. Jacksonville brought back Sidney Jones and drafted Tyson Campbell in the second round of 2021’s draft, but it’s unlikely that either one will get ahead of Henderson on the depth chart.
The second-year cornerback would have to struggle mightily in order for the Jaguars to consider benching him. Also, the fact he is a former first-round pick will give him a longer leash but it’s unlikely the team will take him out of the lineup if he has a bad game or even a rough stretch, as he needs as much experience as he can get on the field.
There’s nothing stopping Henderson from starting all 16 games in 2021 and should have no trouble playing 90 to 95 percent of the team’s total snaps on defense. After all, he’s arguably the second-most talented cornerback on the Jaguars roster.
CJ Henderson will become a key cog on the Jacksonville Jaguars’ secondary.
Last season, Henderson logged one interception and six passes defended. He gave up 33 completions on 51 targets and four touchdowns. Although he gave up 202 yards on a two-game stretch, he also held his own and surrendered fewer than 50 yards in four games, so he was certainly doing something right. He should be able to keep opposing wide receivers in check and seldom give up 100-yard games.
When it comes to tackling, Henderson needs to work on his technique. Last season, he missed five tackles, 12.8 percent of his attempts. If he wants to be a complete cornerback, his percentage of missed tackles has to go down.
On the other hand, Henderson’s interception totals should go up if he dresses up for all 16 games in 2021. The Jaguars’ pass-rush should be better and able to disrupt opposing quarterbacks more often, which in turn will help their cornerbacks hold their assignments for less time than they did last season. It wouldn’t be shocking to the former Gator snag five interceptions and 13 passes defensed.
Last season, Henderson forced a fumble and should be able to have two or even three forced fumbles in 2021. As Meyer pointed out, he’s a talented athlete and has the physical tools to thrive in the NFL. He just needs to turn his potential into production and should be able to do it this year.
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.