Former Kansas Football Star Meets With NFL Team Ahead of Draft

The Kansas football program boasts several prospects who have an opportunity to hear their names called at the NFL Draft in April. One of them is wide receiver Emmanuel Henderson Jr., who is one of two Jayhawks competing at the East-West Shrine Bowl at Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas.

Ahead of the showcase, Henderson has met with several NFL teams as they evaluate their draft boards. One of those teams was the Kansas City Chiefs. Could Henderson land with the local NFL franchise in the draft?

Shrine Bowl practices began on Jan. 23, and Henderson has reportedly met with most NFL teams since then. He has held formal visits with the Green Bay Packers, New York Giants, Las Vegas Raiders, New Orleans Saints, and Washington Commanders.

However, Kansas City would be a particularly interesting landing spot. Not only would he be playing just a few hours from where he finished his collegiate career, but he would also be plugged into an Andy Reid system that values speedy, dynamic receivers like himself.

After spending three years at Alabama, Henderson transferred to Kansas for his senior season. He replaced the production of Luke Grimm, LJ Arnold, and Quentin Skinner and provided the Jayhawks with a reliable deep threat.

He finished the year with 45 receptions for 766 yards and five touchdowns. His 17.0 yards per catch highlight just how dangerous he was downfield.

Henderson also doubled as a kick returner, totaling 455 kickoff return yards and a return touchdown early in the season against West Virginia. His shiftiness and straight-line speed easily rank among the best in this draft class.

Although Henderson was held quiet in some key games, he broke out in others, including a five-catch, 213-yard, two-touchdown performance against Cincinnati. He also eclipsed the 100-yard mark against Wagner and Utah, a threshold that wasn't difficult for him to reach given his effectiveness on go routes.

At the Shrine Bowl, Henderson's measurements were not ideal. He checked in at 6-foot, 180 pounds, slightly below his listed 6-foot-1, 190-pound frame at KU. He also measured with a 6-foot-4 wingspan and a smaller hand size than most teams prefer at the position.

Most mock drafts currently project Henderson to go undrafted, but a strong Shrine Bowl performance could push him into late-round consideration. If not, he is almost certain to draw interest as an undrafted free agent due to his athleticism and elite speed.

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