New York Giants Draft Prospect: LaDarius Henderson, OT

Nick turns his focus to the offensive tackle position starting with Michigan's LaDarius Henderson.

LaDarius Henderson, OT

Height: 6’4
0Weight: 315 lbs.
Class: Senior (fifth-year)
School: Michigan

A former three-star recruit from Waxahachie High School in Waxahachie, Texas, where he was the 87th Texans prospect and the 50th offensive tackle recruit in the 2019 cycle. Henderson initially attended Arizona State and played five years in Tempe before transferring to Michigan for his final year.

Henderson was the starting LT for the National Champion Wolverines, with 637 snaps. The only other year he played left tackle was his freshman year at ASU, with 554 snaps. He only missed 13 snaps in 2022 for the Sun Devils. His play was significantly worse at tackle, but his light feet inspire hope.

He also played 1,184 reps at LG, 41 at RG, and 20 at RT throughout his career. In his two seasons at LT, he surrendered seven sacks and 57 pressures. In his other three years, he only allowed 16 pressures and four sacks.

Henderson earned First-Team All-Big Ten in 2023 and was a team captain in 2022 at ASU. He played in Michigan’s offense, which required him to pull often in GT counter situations. His athletic ability and body control on the move, along with his frame and experience, make him an interesting option for teams that like to pull their players in space.

Strengths

• Well-built frame with long arms - length for days
• A quick athlete who is balanced and controlled when moving
• Good flexion in his lower body
• Excellent movement skills
• Agile, explosive, with good change of direction
• Low stance - explodes out to maintain positive body leverage at the POA vs. the run
• This needs to be more consistent, but he displayed the ability to do so on tape
• Light on his feet and explosive off the snap
• Impressive momentum is maintained when he pulls
• Excellent hand quickness with solid location/control ability
• Solid ability to strike, torque, and maintain contact in the run game
• Showed ability to finish with authority in the run game
• Ohio State, Q1 13:50, 2nd & 10
• Kept hands/elbows tighter when at OG
• COMBO blocks at OG wer executed well at ASU
• Does not have a terrible anchor, but it is not maximized due to high hips
• Versatile in college
• He didn’t start playing football until his junior year in high school
• Only committed one penalty in his final two seasons in school

Weaknesses

• Marginal ability to frame blocks at OT
• Overset too often at OT
• Twist pickup was inconsistent at OT
• Struggled vs. speed at OT
• Footwork at tackle must improve
• Pad level is naturally high
• Gets into contact too high, which hinders athletic upside
• Anchor becomes an issue when he doesn’t keep his naturally high hips low
• Can get over his skis a bit in the run game when legs are driving
• Not weak, but his functional strength can improve
• Could generate more push at the POA
• Hands can get wide in pass protection
• Was beat far too often in the half-man relationship at OT
• Hands are not terrible, but they can be refined, especially in pass protection

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Summary

Ladarius Henderson’s light feet may be his defining factor, but his inability to consistently frame blocks on an island mitigated their worth at OT. Still, he’s a balanced and controlled athlete on the move with solid overall hands and an ability to engage and torque defenders away from holes in the run game. His guard tape is better than his tackle tape, especially in pass protection.

The versatility Henderson displayed reminds me a bit of Josh Ezeudu at North Carolina. Ezeudu had better hands, but Henderson may be slightly lighter on his feet. Both are best suited for guard at the next level. If Henderson can keep his center of gravity low, his upside skyrockets. He’s a bit raw from a technical standpoint, but continuity at one position could benefit Henderson when he gets to the next level.

GRADE: 6.0D

Nick Falato

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