KJ Henry NFL Draft 2023: Scouting Report for Washington Commanders' EDGE
April 29, 2023
HEIGHT: 6'4"
WEIGHT: 251
HAND: 10"
ARM: 33"
WINGSPAN: TBD
40-YARD DASH: 4.63
3-CONE: TBD
SHUTTLE: TBD
VERTICAL: 31.5"
BROAD: 9'4"
POSITIVES
– Solid get-off, quick to react to the snap and decent acceleration off the line of scrimmage.
– As a run defender, shoots his hands off the ball and has solid strength to get extension and help get a leverage advantage against offensive tackles. Physical at the point of attack, too.
– Good block recognition to put himself in a position to stay in his gap.
– Arm length and extension help him escape blocks.
– Has some quickness and agility to gamble and win by ducking inside blocks against outside-zone runs. This also helps him with inside stick moves as a pass-rusher.
– Showed flashes of being able to change speeds and win with a hesitation move as a pass-rusher.
– Solid in line games. Physical as the pick player and takes a good angle to lure the tackle inside. He has the agility and change-of-direction skills as a looper to take an efficient path to the quarterback.
– Gets his hands up when he doesn't hit home while rushing the passer and has good hand-eye coordination to bat passes at the line of scrimmage.
NEGATIVES
– Against the run, takes on blocks with subpar knee bend and stops his feet on contact, leading to issues holding ground against offensive linemen who have good leverage and double-teams/combo blocks from two tight ends.
– Doesn't get underneath pullers as the spill player in run fits. Relies on being physical and will leave open rushing lanes inside.
– Has active but inaccurate hands as a pass-rusher. Struggles to "defeat the hands, defeat the man," which limits his pass-rushing arsenal.
– Lacks strength and power to win as a bull-rusher or turn speed to power.
– Doesn't have a go-to pass-rushing move that he'll be able to win with in the NFL.
– Not very bendy to turn a tight corner at the top of the rush. Ankles are a little stiff.
– Needs to rush with a plan and improve his pass-rushing motor.
NOTES
– Born January 27, 1999
– A 5-star recruit in the 2018 class, No. 14 overall, No. 3 WDE, per 247Sports' composite rankings
– Injuries: 2021 (tore ligaments in his knee during CFP, offseason surgery and missed spring practice)
– 24 career starts
– Career stats (five seasons): 124 total tackles (63 solo), 28 TFL, 13 sacks, 11 PD, 2 FF
– 2022 Honors: Team captain, third-team All-American (PFF), first-team All-ACC (PFF, Phil Steele, AP), second-team All-ACC (media, coaches, CFN), All-ACC Academic Team
– 2021 Honors: All-ACC Academic Team
OVERALL
KJ Henry is a solid player overall. His run defense is ahead of his pass-rushing, as he has quick hands and enough strength to get by. He'll be able to stand up and escape against solid to good offensive linemen, but blockers who have good leverage will give him trouble, as will double-teams and combo blocks.
When rushing the passer, Henry has shown a few traits that could translate well to the NFL. He's decently quick and has impressive lateral movement skills that show up when working stick moves or as the looper in line games.
However, the accuracy with his hands isn't there yet, so tackles who have a good punch and strong inside shoulder will be able to recover. When his hands are right, though, his inside stick move can be dirty.
Overall, the Clemson product is a solid defensive end who is probably best with his hand in the ground in even fronts, but he'd be fine as a standup outside linebacker for an odd-front team. That versatility should help boost his draft stock and make him an intriguing middle-round prospect.
GRADE: 6.8 (Potential Role Player/4th Round)
OVERALL RANK: 109
POSITION RANK: EDGE15
PRO COMPARISON: Julian Okwara
