Denver Broncos agree to rookie deal with WR Carlos Henderson
The Denver Broncos have agreed to terms on a four-year contract with wide receiver Carlos Henderson, one of their third round picks in the 2017 NFL draft…
The Denver Broncos agreed to terms on a four-year rookie contract with Louisiana Tech wide receiver Carlos Henderson. Henderson was the 82nd overall selection in the 2017 NFL Draft and the first of two third round picks for the Broncos overall.
Henderson was a game-changer for the Bulldogs of Louisiana Tech. This past season, he was a machine after the catch, breaking more tackles and gaining more yards after the catch than any other wide receiver in the country.
He finished the 2016 season with 82 receptions for 1,535 yards and a whopping 19 touchdowns. He also had 14 rushing attempts for 133 yards (9.5 YPC) and two scores on the ground. Henderson was the Conference USA Offensive and Special Teams player of the year.
He is the first player in the history of the conference to earn both of those recognitions in one season.
In addition to being the Broncos’ new slot receiver, Henderson has a decent chance of latching on early as a dynamic presence in the kick return game. He returned three kickoffs for touchdowns while at Louisiana Tech, including two this past season.
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When he was drafted, John Elway and Vance Joseph talked about Henderson providing the type of player the Broncos covet as a slot receiver, and we discussed that possibility at length.
Henderson has breakaway speed and looks like a running back once he catches the ball. He does have some background playing the running back position dating back to his earlier years of football, but became a big time receiver the last two years at Louisiana Tech.
He finished his collegiate career with over 3,100 yards from scrimmage and over 2,000 return yards. As a matter of fact, as a senior at Louisiana Tech, Henderson racked up 2,473 all-purpose yards, more than any other player in college football.
He ranked fourth in all-purpose yards per game behind Christian McCaffrey, Joe Mixon, and D’Onta Foreman. His 2,473 all-purpose yards on just 121 plays was easily the most effective per-play average in the country. McCaffrey (314 plays), Mixon (249 plays), and Foreman (330 plays) all had far more opportunities on the field.
Henderson will be a dynamic playmaker for the Broncos in a wide variety of ways.