4 Panthers players who haven’t matched offseason hype in 2022
By Dean Jones
C.J. Henderson – Carolina Panthers CB
The reports coming from Carolina Panthers training camp surrounding C.J. Henderson were incredibly positive. Defensive backs coach Steve Wilks was glowing in his praise of the cornerback, who came back with a renewed sense of purpose as he looked to finally kickstart his NFL career.
Henderson’s seen plenty of the field and has certainly flashed promise on occasions. However, his consistency is suspect and there are times when he becomes an easy target for opposing passing attacks, which was evident once again on Thursday Night Football against the Atlanta Falcons.
Considering how high hopes were for Henderson coming out of Florida, his career trajectory is concerning. The Jacksonville Jaguars gave up on their No. 9 overall selection in 2020 for nothing more than a third-rounder and tight end Dan Arnold, which looks like solid compensation based on his performances overall in a different environment.
Henderson is giving up a whopping 74.4 percent of targets thrown his way and a 105.7 passer rating when targeted through Week 10. Not exactly what the summer hype suggested and there is much work ahead for the player if he wants to avoid the dreaded draft bust label.
The Panthers will be without Donte Jackson for their remaining games and beyond after he tore his Achilles. This means Henderson will become the No. 2 cornerback opposite Jaycee Horn and it’s imperative he capitalizes on the immense chance ahead of him.