Jalen Ramsey replacement? Jaguars hope it can be Florida CB CJ Henderson
For the second time in five years, the Jacksonville Jaguars have taken an in-state cornerback in the top 10 of the NFL draft.
They’re probably hoping their most recent one is just as good as the first.
With the ninth overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft, the Jaguars selected Florida cornerback CJ Henderson. The 21-year-old was the second cornerback taken in the draft, following Ohio State’s Jeffrey Okudah going third overall to the Detroit Lions.
Jaguars needed a CB after roster teardown
Cornerback was an obvious need for the Jaguars, having lost two Pro Bowlers at the position in the last year between Jalen Ramsey and A.J. Bouye. The more notable loss was Ramsey, who was traded to the Los Angeles Rams in the middle of last season for two first-round picks and a fourth-rounder.
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Rewind back five years, and the Jaguars were taking Ramsey sixth overall out of Florida State. Ramsey would go on to become one of the top cornerbacks in the NFL, but his relationship with the team soured significantly over the years. That was primarily thanks to contract extension disputes and friction with top executive Tom Coughlin, who really hated following CBA rules when it came to managing players.
While Ramsey’s departure eventually seemed inevitable, it was also clear that his talent (as well as Bouye’s) would be hard to replace. Some of those duties will now fall on Henderson.
In TL;DR form, Yahoo Sports NFL draft expert Eric Edholm described Henderson’s abilities the following way:
Confident, smooth cover corner whose pre-2019 tape showed the best of what he can be, even with some tackling and playmaking worries
Edholm’s player comp for Henderson? Jalen Ramsey.
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