Prospect Watch: WR Carlos Henderson

The Bucs need to find weapons for their offense and most importantly help Jameis Winston progress to the next level. Now most Bucs fans want the team to address the receiver position in the first round but as I have wrote before it might be day 2 when that happens. I think the Bucs will address the WR position through free agency and the draft as they need to bolster their depth at that position. Today we are going to focus on a rising prospect in Carlos Henderson who brings plenty of explosiveness to the position. Here is a quote from Tony Pauline per Draftwire.com talking about Henderson's speed and rise among team's draft boards.

There have been questions about his size, specifically his height, but I am told Henderson will measure a shade over 5-feet/11-inches.  He is expected to run under 4.4s in the forty at the combine, with some believing he could drop into the 4.35s area.

I’m told Henderson has received high praise from rival coaches in Conference USA.  When asked they’ve told league scouts Henderson was impossible to cover.

That is strong praise for the explosive wide out out of La Tech who continues to make an impression among the scouting community. Let's now take a deeper look at Henderson's game and what he brings to the football field.

WR Carlos Henderson- 5'11 191lbs 82 rec 1535 yds 18.7 ypc 19 Td

Strengths- He is a natural hands catcher as he doesn't let the ball hit his body often. Explosive is an understatement as he has good short area quickness and speed in his routes. Henderson can make defenders miss as it usually takes more than one guy to get him down, even though small in stature Henderson plays big. Possesses ability to win deep with his speed as he does a great job with route precision to create separation. Adds versatility as he can play special teams and return kicks as he had two touchdowns off kick returns this season.

Weaknesses- Weak competition will cause scouts to question his ability and whether he has the ability to play on the outside. He rarely faced press man coverage and at times his play speed was inconsistent. Needs to improve on his route tree and become more sound with his fundamentals as a receiver. He will have to learn to come back to the football as he tends to wait rather than attacking the ball.

Here is a quote from an NFC South scout on Henderson's game and how he translate to the NFL per NFL.com.

"He plays with good route strength and speed and he has good hands. His return value should lock him into a team. I think he will come in as a fourth receiver, but he could have upped his draft value with another year at school." -- NFC South regional scout

Overall, I think Henderson has a chance to come in right away and make an impact due to his speed and ability to help on special teams. I think he has all the intangibles and physical tools to be a very good player and could eventually be a very good number two receiver in this league. I don't see the hype on him as a first round prospect but I do feel he will be great value on day 2 of the draft. I think he could be a potential target for the Bucs especially if they address the position in free agency like I expect them to do. Henderson could come in and help the Bucs on special teams and work in slot position or on the outside if have to. Henderson is certainly someone to keep an eye on as we move closer to the draft as he very well could be a Bucs target on day 2 of the draft.

Henderson gets past 4 people here. Defense is drawn up to prevent him from getting in yet he goes in regardless. pic.twitter.com/uIVzrkUUyv

— realbucstalk (@realbucstalk) February 22, 2017