C.J. Henderson entered the NFL as a hyped cornerback out of the University of Florida, selected with the ninth overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Six seasons and four teams later, Henderson is earning an opportunity to transform from what some would call a "bust" to now being a "late bloomer" in his second year with the Atlanta Falcons .
"When he got here, obviously, a very well-known past and history in this league," Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich spoke to reporters about Henderson on Friday.
"To help him start to reinvent himself here brings me a ton of joy because he's such an amazing young man. I'm excited for every opportunity he gets and show this league exactly who he is now today."
With AJ Terrell Jr. on injured reserve , Henderson took over the lead primary cornerback duties in Atlanta's 35-14 win over the Green Bay Packers .
The Thursday Night Football matchup saw the 6-foot-1, 205-pounder match up with Green Bay wide receiver duo Romeo Doubs and Christian Watson, and Henderson even defended tight end Tucker Kraft.
In a dominant defensive performance by the Falcons, Henderson finished the game with 12 targets, allowing five receptions for 52 yards. Henderson logged eight tackles, all solo, and defended three passes.
"To have him on this roster gives us so much security," Ulbrich said of Henderson stepping in for Terrell. "Typically, a corner gets nicked or hurt, then the next guy comes in - they're going to attack that guy, they're going to target that guy. When CJ takes the field, I'm like 'Please target him. Go at him. Good luck.' It's been a fun journey with CJ."
Just like that, the sixth-year NFL veteran is now leading a Falcons cornerback room featuring Billy Bowman Jr. , rookie Avieon Terrell , and Mike Hughes .
Ulbrich holds Henderson in high regard.
"CJ is a tremendous luxury," Ulbrich said. "In my opinion, he is a 'one.' He is a guy who would start on a lot of teams"
Next for Henderson is New Orleans Saints All-Pro receiver Chris Olave. He enters the Falcons-Saints NFC South rivalry Monday Night Football game with 27 receptions, 375 receptions, and a touchdown.
It will be a collective effort to contain the Saints' star, Ulbrich says.
"He's obviously a focal point of this offense," Ulbrich said. "It's going to take all of us - the rush, the coverage, the one-on-one matchup. I'd like to say we'll have enough variants and answers to keep you guessing as far as how we're covering him. What a great challenge for us. CJ, Mike, Billy - it's not their job to cover him. It's all of our job. And it's on me too to get these guys in the right places and provide enough help and assistance to keep the offense guessing."
Falcons (1-2) versus Saints (1-2) NFL Week 4 game kicks off at 8:15 p.m. on ESPN from the Caesars Superdome and will commemorate 20 years since New Orleans returned to the venue after Hurricane Katrina .
If Atlanta wins, it'll jump to the sole No. 1 spot in the NFC South division as long as the Carolina Panthers lose to the Detroit Panthers.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/falcons/onsi as Falcons CB C.J. Henderson Gets Bold Vote of Confidence From Jeff Ulbrich .
