Former No. 9 overall pick 'excited' to prove himself with Steelers

Less than 24 hours after placing promising second-year cornerback Cory Trice Jr. on injured reserve , the Steelers decided to take a chance on a former top-10 pick.

On Wednesday, Pittsburgh signed cornerback C.J. Henderson, the No. 9 overall pick by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2020 NFL Draft, to their practice squad .

It may not be the position Henderson imagined he would be in after being highly-touted out of Florida, but having the chance to join the Steelers top-ranked defense was too special to pass up.

"I'm excited," Henderson said . "They play fast, play hard and got a lot of great guys on that side."

Henderson has already bounced around the NFL in his career. In 2021, he was traded to the Carolina Panthers, who he played for up until last season, and then he joined the Houston Texans practice squad this year before being released in August.

That is exactly why he has no problem putting his past behind him and proving himself once again.

"It's still football at the end of the day," Henderson continued. "I'm grateful for the opportunity to be at a great organization like this. So no matter what, if I can play football, that's what I'm here to do at the end of the day."

What Henderson's role will be in Pittsburgh remains to be seen, but injuries are starting to pile up . So he could be one injury away from seeing playing time.

Henderson is focused on getting caught up to speed right now, but he's confident he can have success in any role given to him.

"I feel like I can do everything," Henderson added. "Just getting the right scheme down and learning what I need to get done."

Why?

Because the Steelers defense preaches physicality, and he believes his play style fits perfectly with that mindset.

"I love it," Henderson concluded . "I heard a lot of great things about this organization, how they run it and definitely strong on that side."

Henderson has 172 tackles, one sack, two forced fumbles, three interceptions and 16 passes defensed in his NFL career.

All quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.