Broncos add playmaker with selection of Carlos Henderson

With the 82nd selection of the NFL Draft, the Denver Broncos selected wide receiver Carlos Henderson from Louisiana Tech. The 5’11”, 199-pound Henderson posted impressive numbers last year in La. Tech’s wide-open passing offense to the tune of 82 catches for 1,535 yards.

Henderson registered a 4.46 in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine but managed just a 7.18 in the three-cone drill, which contributed to his fall to the third round.

While undersized, Denver’s top two wideouts allow him to develop without the pressure of being forced into heavy action early and he will compete for the third wide receiver spot while also providing a boost to the paltry return game.

The NFL.com scouting report on him says:

Strengths

Drops hips into breaks for sharp stop-and-open. Maintains play speed through directional route changes. Can elevate catch focus when he knows safety is coming to deliver a blow. Flashes get-away gear used to climb over top of cornerbacks on vertical routes. Sells double moves and leaves defenders trailing. Decent job of shielding throws from traffic when working inside the numbers. Hands catcher and can dip to adjust to low throws. Extremely competitive runner after the catch. Plays bigger than his listed size. Can slip first tackle and power through the second. Downhill kick returner with ability to find lanes for himself when necessary. Posted two kick return touchdowns this season and three for his career.

Weaknesses

Short strider. Competition across from him was below average. Rarely challenged by competitive press. Play speed is inconsistent. Has quality top gear but doesn’t always use it in his routes. Needs to do better job of tilting defenders with quality route work on next level. Too reliant upon speed and talent over fundamentals at this point. Ran simple routes and drew quarterback’s ire when he made wrong reads on choices. Tight hipped and average at changing direction. Below average ball tracking on deep throws. Occasionally mistimes leaps. Waits on throws rather than working back to them. Focus drop come primarily on slants.

Bottom Line

One-year superstar who delivered monster numbers at Louisiana Tech this year before leaving school early. Plays outside for the Bulldogs, but a little smaller than most teams will like. Henderson excels on catch-and-go throws and nine routes. He lacks the route running to come in and be an effective threat right away, but his kick return ability could get him early work.

His NFL comparable is Quinton Patton.