3 things to know about new Carolina Panthers CB C.J. Henderson
By Dean Jones
What are the Carolina Panthers getting in cornerback C.J. Henderson after trading with the Jacksonville Jaguars?
The Carolina Panthers didn’t wait long to find a replacement for Jaycee Horn, who’ll miss a considerable period of time with a broken foot suffered on Thursday Night Football at the Houston Texans. According to Ian Rappaport of the NFL Network, the team has agreed on a trade for C.J. Henderson from the Jacksonville Jaguars, which comes with a great deal of upside considering the compensation.
Carolina is sending a third-round pick and tight end Dan Arnold to the Jaguars in exchange for Henderson and a fifth-rounder. This fills an immediate need and could even become a long-term option with Horn and Donte Jackson providing the veteran is extended before 2022 free agency.
This is another sign that the Panthers aren’t going to sit on their hands in the pursuit of progression. They reached out to free-agent Richard Sherman a day prior to this trade, so it’s clear they didn’t want Horn’s injury jeopardizing their chances as the season goes on.
With this in mind, we picked out three things to know about Carolina’s latest addition to an already dominant defense.
Thing to Know No. 1
The Carolina Panthers were high on C.J. Henderson before the 2020 draft
It was no secret that the Panthers were high on C.J. Henderson coming out of college. He enjoyed a phenomenal career at Florida and was touted as arguably the best cornerback prospect entering the NFL last year.
Carolina got lucky when Derrick Brown fell into their laps at No. 7 overall. The defensive tackle was a no-brainer at the time, with Henderson going to Jacksonville two picks later at No. 9.
The Panthers obviously kept close tabs on Henderson, who now gets the chance to make a lasting contribution on a defense that’s been absolutely relentless to start the campaign.