Could cornerback CJ Henderson become the first NFL Defensive Rookie of Year winner for Jaguars?
Jacksonville cornerback CJ Henderson is +2500 at William Hill sportsbook to win NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year.
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Last week, we looked at the chances of former LSU linebacker K'Lavon Chaisson becoming the first player in Jacksonville Jaguars history to win NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. Chaisson, the No. 20 overall pick in April's draft, was +2500 on the moneyline odds at Williams Hill sportsbook. So is former Florida cornerback CJ Henderson, who was the Jags' initial first-round pick at No. 9 overall.
Jacksonville must like SEC defenders because it took Kentucky linebacker Josh Allen with its first-round pick last year and Allen was tremendous as a rookie. Shoot, the Jags also took Auburn safety Daniel Thomas at No. 157 this year.
In addition, Henderson is the sixth player from the University of Florida that the Jaguars have selected in the first round: Dante Fowler, Taven Bryan, Derrick Harvey, Reggie Nelson and Fred Taylor are the others. Jacksonville is only about 70 miles from Gainesville, so it's convenient to scout the Gators plenty.
On the CBS Sports Big Board, Henderson was ranked as the No. 18 overall player entering the draft and No. 2 cornerback behind Ohio State's Jeff Okudah, who went No. 3 to the Detroit Lions. Cornerback was a position of need for Jacksonville after trading former All-Pro Jalen Ramsey to the Los Angeles Rams during the 2019 season.
Henderson missed three games last regular season due to injury and UF's bowl because he skipped that to prepare for the draft. He still led the team with 11 pass breakups, although he didn't have a single interception after a combined six his first two seasons.
No question that Henderson should start from Day 1 with the losses of Ramsey and fellow corner AJ Bouye, who was traded to Denver in March. The last cornerback to win NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year was the Saints' Marcus Lattimore in 2017. Former NFL wideout Chad Johnson has hyped Henderson's skills after working out some with him this summer.
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