KJ Henry Scouting Report

By: Michael Higgins

(Image courtesy of Ken Ruinard/USA TODAY Sports)

School: Clemson (Senior)

Position: EDGE

HT: 6’4

WT: 260 lbs

Sideline Prospect Ranking: #82

KJ Henry was originally a 5-star recruit and a top-10 player in the nation in high school. Henry attended West Forsyth High School in Clemmons, North Carolina, and he dominated. He played both football and basketball in high school, averaging 16 points and 7 rebounds per game in high school. He was an athletic force, and that basketball background translates to the football field. KJ Henry was a Second Team All-American in high school and played in the Under Armour All-American Game. In the classroom, Henry was able to earn his Bachelor’s Degree in Sports Communication in 3 years. He then went on to earn his master’s degree in Athletic Leadership. Henry is a star both on the field and in the classroom. Henry did not make an impact for Clemson right away, redshirting in 2018. However, after he redshirted his first collegiate season, he became a mainstay for the Tigers on the edge.

Henry is a physical force with violent and purposeful movements at the point of attack. He is quick out of a 3-point stance and plays at a perfect pad height in order to maximize leverage. Henry has great reaction skills and instincts at or around the line of scrimmage. Whether it is batting a pass at the line, reading the mesh point, or tracking the ball carrier in the backfield, Henry does a great job of taking optimal routes and angles to get where he needs to be. He is a sure tackler who consistently wraps up his opponent and brings them to the ground. Henry is a traditional hand-in-the-dirt defensive end, and he has the burst and speed to play the part. His 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine was timed at 4.63 seconds, which put him in the 90th percentile historically amongst defensive ends. This straight-line speed translates onto the football field with Henry. He is able to track down and chase quarterbacks in the backfield, giving them no room to breathe until the whistle has been blown.

KJ Henry still has a long way to go in order to be the best version of himself on the football field. He would most likely benefit from another year at Clemson, but due to the fact that he is going to be a 24-year-old rookie, it is understandable why he went pro. Henry does not have the optimal length for the edge position, he has below-average measurements for hands, arm length, and wingspan. The lack of length did not hinder him much in college, but going up against the best professional players in the world will bring a whole new level of challenges. Henry also has to become a more well-rounded run defender. Too often he worked himself up the field and out of the play. He was a part of an absolutely loaded Clemson front seven so we have never really seen Henry be the star contributor of a defense, he has been more of a rotational defensive end to this point in his career. While Henry is a fast defender, he often has a false step in his reps that loses him precious milliseconds on offensive tackles. If he can eliminate that false step from his game, his production would noticeably improve.

KJ Henry will likely be used in a standard rotational defensive end role. However, if he can workout a few kinks in his game, it will go a long way in improving him as a player. Look for him to have a significant increase in percentage of snaps by his 3rd season.

Scheme Fit: Even Front

Ideal Role: Defensive End

Best Team Fits: IND, PHI, ATL

Player Comparison: Marcus Davenport

Player Grade: 74.7