LaDarius Henderson 2024 NFL Draft Profile
The Michigan Wolverines are sending a handful of offensive linemen to the NFL. Thus far we have talked about Zak Zinter (link to profile) and Trevor Keegan (link to profile). Now, it’s time to discuss LaDarius Henderson and his 2024 NFL Draft Profile.
Henderson’s collegiate career was spent at Arizona State and Michigan. It began as a Sun Devil where he spent three seasons. In that time, he started two years at left guard. Henderson transferred to Michigan for his final year and started ten games at left tackle. It should be noted that Henderson did not begin the year as Michigan’s starting left tackle. After four games, the line was shuffled, Henderson entered the starting unit and Myles Hinton was pulled.
Henderson is six-foot-four, 309 pounds with 35-inch arms. That is not a great size, but it is good enough for the NFL level.
Now that biographical information has been laid out, let’s rip the Band-Aid off. Henderson is not very good and should not have anyone excited.
Henderson had a poor showing at the Senior Bowl. In the one-on-one pass-blocking drills he consistently lost reps and did not seem to have the strength to keep up.
Henderson’s passing-blocking issues are reinforced on tape. In fact, they are probably worse. Henderson struggles significantly when opponents get to his outside shoulder. That often results in speed rushers getting an outside lane to the quarterback.
The pass-blocking concerns grow immensely because Henderson does not recognize stunts. At Michigan, left guard Trevor Keegan often bailed him out. One of the strengths of Keegan’s game is that he recognizes stunts and helps teammates. That greatly helped Henderson.
Henderson’s struggles against athletic pass rushers will force him to play guard at the next level. It would be moronic to put him at left tackle and expect him to protect your franchise quarterback.
It is hard to say Henderson’s pass blocking will improve when he kicks inside. As previously mentioned, he did not have the strength to compete at the Senior Bowl. In the NFL, powerful pass rushers should quickly drive him into the quarterback.
On a more positive note, Henderson is better in the run game. I would not consider him dominant in that aspect; however, he down-blocks well. Plus, he is a strong puller and reliably executes his assignment. Interestingly enough, pass rushers who found success attacking his outside shoulder would get overconfident and get too far outside on run plays. That occasionally helped Henderson open holes off his right hip.
The idea of Henderson becoming a versatile bench player who can play guard and tackle is greatly overstated. It is a hard sell to believe that he could become a respectable tackle considering his current issues. If you want to develop a late-round project, it would be wiser to select a player with better measurables and physical traits. That leaves Henderson as a guard.
It is hard to say that Henderson will make it at the NFL level. It seems like he does not have the physical tools to make it at the end level. The physical limitations as a pass-blocker outweigh the small amount of upside he has in the run game. Henderson gets an undrafted free agent grade. It is probably not worth giving him a call as a free agent either.
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