KJ

Henry

Henry was waived at last cuts after being drafted by the old Commanders regime in 2023, then caught on with the Bengals practice squad. He’ll provide depth for the Cowboys up front with the team placing DeMarcus Lawrence on injured reserve.

The Commanders traded up to draft Henry in the fourth round in 2023, but the new coaching staff in Washington will now move on from him. The Clemson product had 19 tackles and 1.5 sacks in 10 games in 2023 and will likely be claimed by somebody on waivers.

A coach’s kid who arrived at Clemson with a five-star pedigree, Henry (6’4/251) was plugged into a part-time role for his first four seasons before finally breaking out last year. He led the Tigers with 53 pressures and 34 hurries while cutting his career missed tackle rate in half to 6.5% and earning Second-Team All-ACC accolades. While not quite a complete power/speed threat like some of the bigger edges in this class, Henry ran a 4.63s 40 (95th%) and 1.57s 10-yard split (98th%) showing the burst to threaten tackles on the loop. His revved-up motor shows up in his hustle plays in tracking down ball carriers, but he’s better off avoiding tacklers than taking them on due to lack of lower body power. His frenetic play style causes him to overrun plays, as he only got home for 3.5 sacks despite 53 pressures. Despite being an older, 24-year-old who didn’t start until his fifth season, Henry could ideally become a steady passing down contributor.

Henry (6'4"/260) hasn’t quite lived up to his five-star status in totality, but is still a very solid player and seems to get better every year. He set career highs in TFLs and sacks this year, and will give the Clemson defense some much needed stability and consistency. His NFL prospects this year weren’t great, but he’ll have another year to boost them with his return.

“Like the former Mizzou standout, Henry is a prospect with a basketball background who possesses a quick first step, good agility and the ability to bend and work a tight path,” Haubert writes. He adds that the 6-foot-5, 220-pounder “also possesses good power and a physical nature to be a strong run defender.” Rivals ranks Henry as the No. 15 overall prospect in the 2018 cycle, while the ESPN 300 is even higher on him -- they slot him into their master rankings at No. 6.

Farrell did like that the 6-foot-5, 220-pounder has been putting on weight this offseason, but his was a somewhat undercooked camp performance, particularly given that Henry ranks as Rivals’ No. 15 overall prospect for the 2018 cycle. This mixed performance doesn’t figure to negatively impact his recruitment to any serious degree, though. ESPN’s Craig Haubert has compared him to former Missouri edge rusher Charles Harris.

“Clemson has been considered the favorite for a long time but recent visits to Georgia and Alabama and skipping Clemson on the way back home has raised some eyebrows,” writes Farrell, who adds that "[t]his will come down to official visits most likely.” Henry (6'5/220) ranks as the outlet’s No. 15 overall prospect for the 2018 cycle. Earlier this offseason, ESPN’s Craig Haubert compared the Clemmons, North Carolina, native to former Missouri edge rusher Charles Harris, noting that Henry “possesses a quick first step, good agility and the ability to bend and work a tight path.”

While this is the second time that Henry had planned an offseason visit to HC Dabo Swinney and company before having to back out, the 6-foot-5, 220-pounder said that he would be “surprised” if he didn’t ultimately give them an official visit. He also tagged Alabama as a likely official visit this autumn. Rivals recruiting director Mike Farrell believes that the outlet’s No. 15 overall prospect will hitch his wagon to Clemson when all is said and done.

Henry has already taken an official visit to Georgia and will be doing likewise to Virginia Tech a week from Saturday, when the Hokies take on North Carolina. Clemson, Alabama and South Carolina are the other three programs in line to host the 6-foot-5, 220-pounder over the coming weeks. Rivals recruiting analysts Rob Cassidy and Adam Friedman believe that the outlet’s No. 23 overall prospect will ultimately make a decision between Clemson, Virginia Tech and Georgia. Henry plans on committing on December 20.

While the Tigers are sitting out in front right now, this is far from a closed case. Henry (6'5/220) is also said to be intrigued by Georgia and Virginia Tech. South Carolina and Alabama are also legitimate contenders, here, though they have some ground to make up. Rivals’ No. 23 overall prospect, Henry is an agile, quick lineman, one whom has been comped to former Missouri DE Charles Harris.