The 2023 NFL Draft will be a great event for teams to start building for their future. Here is the KJ Henry 2023 NFL Draft Profile.
Position: Edge Rusher
School: Clemson
Size: 6-foot-4, 251 pounds
Class: Redshirt Senior
2022 Stats: 51 total tackles, 9 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, 6 passes defended, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery
Henry was a part of some extremely talented defensive lines at Clemson. Now he is a 2023 NFL Draft prospect.
As a five-star prospect out of North Carolina, Henry signed with Clemson in the class of 2018. He was redshirted in 2018, although he tallied six tackles. In 2019, Henry had 23 total tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and two sacks as a rotational player. For the 2020 season, Henry had 23 total tackles, six tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. He helped the team go 10-2 and make an appearance in the College Football Playoff. In the 2021 season, Henry tallied 21 total tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss and 4.0 sacks. The Tigers went 10-3 and won the Cheez-It Bowl that season. For the 2022 season, Henry had 51 total tackles, nine tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. He led Clemson to the Orange Bowl and an 11-3 overall record.
Following his Orange Bowl appearance, Henry entered the 2023 NFL Draft. He is currently projected to be a mid-round pick.
Henry has decent size for the edge rusher. He stands 6-foot-4 and 251 pounds. To go with his size, Henry also has ok length with 33-inch arms. While none of these measurements are elite, he has ample size and length to be competitive at the NFL level.
He has good athleticism for the position as well. Henry has good quickness at the snap of the ball, which gives him a good jump on the play. He shows good lateral agility to attack gaps and get by blockers with some nice inside moves.
There is more good news for Henry, as he can convert his speed to power as a rusher. He turns his quickness into speed and then is able to transfer that into power. His ability to power rush, along with his athleticism gives him several different ways to get after the quarterback.
There are parts of his run defense that need work. Henry needs to do a better job of setting the edge to help contain runs to the inside. He could also show better gap integrity to not leave holes open for running backs to get through. Being more disciplined against the run could really help him be a better overall player.
Henry wins with his athleticism and his ability to convert speed to power as a rusher, but he needs to add more pass-rush moves to his game. He also could add more counters for when his initial rush is stopped. Henry can be a more effective pass rusher with a better pass rush plan.
Over his career, Henry has mostly been a rotational player. He hasn’t proven to be able to consistently produce as an every down player at the college level. Henry can continue in a rotational role at the next level, but it may take a while for him to develop into an every down player.
Projected Draft Range: Third Round Pick-Fifth Round Pick
Draft Grade: Third-Round Pick
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