Texans to Meet With Former First Round Pick C.J. Henderson

The Houston Texans are interested in adding another cornerback in free agency with the potential signing of former first-round pick C.J. Henderson.

HOUSTON — The Houston Texans have spent the first two weeks of free agency revamping their roster for the 2024 season. However, it appears that their top priority remains on the defensive side of the ball.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, cornerback C.J. Henderson is visiting with the Texans on Thursday.

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Henderson is a former first-round pick (No. 9 overall) by the Jacksonville Jaguars during the 2020 NFL Draft. 

The potential signing of Henderson would mark the second cornerback the Texans would have added since the start of free agency. Houston signed cornerback Jeff Okudah on March 11 to begin adding to its defensive backfield.

At the NFL Combine in February, general manager Nick Caserio stated one of his off-season goals was to pair Derek Stingley Jr. with another vital cornerback. 

The potential signing of Henderson would also mark the end for Steven Nelson, who played an important role in the Texans’ success during the 2023 season. 

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"I have a lot of respect for the way Steven has handled himself and for the way he played this year," Caserio said. "But similar to many other players, we will have to go through the process.

"There are a lot of good players out there in free agency, including some of our players. But we are going to have someone out there playing opposite of Stingley. We will work through it over the next few weeks and see where we end up."

Henderson last played during the 2022 season for the Carolina Panthers. He appeared in 10 games, recording 31 tackles and a pair of pass deflections.