Willie Henry scores a touchdown against Utah
Name: Willie Henry
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 311 lbs.
High school: Cleveland (OH) Glenville
Position: Defensive tackle
Class: Redshirt junior
Jersey number: #69
Last year: I ranked Henry #15 and said he would be a part-time starter at defensive tackle. He started six games and made 20 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, and 1 interception, which he returned for a touchdown.
Henry showed flashes of being pretty awesome in 2013, but he was an inconsistent backup. Rumors floated about last spring that he let some of his success go to his head, and he found himself as a third-stringer during the spring. Multiple coaches have said that the only limitations for Henry are the ones he places on himself, and reading between the lines, that meant he needed to step it up in the Department of Work Ethics. He played in just nine games last season and started six, but he was still highly productive with 5.5 tackles for loss (tied for 5th on the team), 3 sacks (tied for 5th), and 1 interception (tied for 2nd). That amazing interception came against Utah when he leaped at the line of scrimmage, snagged the ball between his two paws, and trucked the overwhelmed quarterback on his way into the endzone. Not many defensive tackles can make that play, and the last time we saw a defensive lineman do something like that, he grew into a 3rd round pick despite legal troubles (that was Frank Clark in the 2011 Sugar Bowl, in case you’re wondering).
When putting together this list, I found that I started to get a little terrified once I got to Henry at #7 and above. The loss of players at #8 and below can be dealt with if necessary, but anyone from Henry and up would be a debilitating blow to the team. That was the case even before nose tackle Bryan Mone was lost for the season (unofficially) with a lower leg injury.
Henry has mentioned that he was playing defensive tackle and defensive end, and he was reportedly starting at strongside end in the students-only practice this past weekend. That does not exactly mesh with my expectation that Chris Wormley will start at defensive end, but Michigan is so solid at the strongside end and tackle positions that a little rejiggering here or there is not too concerning. The scary part is what happens if more guys lose time to injury. Henry is a big-time player who could be an early entrant into the NFL Draft. He’s 6’3″, 311 lbs., can run, can play low, can blow up offensive guards on the regular, etc. It may be interesting to see how he fares against taller and longer offensive tackles, but I think he has the athleticism to do well there, too. I said last year that Henry could be Michigan’s best defensive tackle since Mike Martin; the only thing missing is consistency of effort. Hopefully the new coaching staff, as well as holdover Greg Mattison, can bring that out of him.
Prediction: Starting defensive tackle; 50 tackles, 9 tackles for loss, 4 sacks
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If it were me and Willie Henry is truly the beast the buzz indicates he might be, I might be having thoughts about moving him around and making him hard for people to find/account for. I can’t think of a much better scenario than one in which your QB and/or center have to find Willie Henry before or in addition to the pre-snap stuff they already have to do anyway.
If you’re gonna do that kind of a thing, you absolutely have to be lining him up all over the place in practice.
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That’s the best explanation I can think of for moving Henry around. Besides that you have general desire for versatility or motivational tactic.
He seems like a natural 3-Tech/DT. Sure, he can fit anywhere but that seems like the position most suited for his strengths. Him playing SDE is a bit of a surprise, but then again Mattison always said there wasn’t much difference between the 3 and 5-tech positions.
Perhaps they look at Henry like they look at Peppers – a versatile guy to be deployed wherever he is needed most.
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Would like to think Henry will be a “beast”, but have heard that about too many guys that didn’t come close to living up to it. I hope for him to be a solid run-stopper this year, but I don’t think he has the pass-rushing ability to take his game to the next level. I would put his ceiling at honorable mention All-Big Ten.
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I hear you about being weary of hype, in general. The difference with Henry, IMO, is that he has shown us that ability on the field. Guys like Darboh, Peppers, or Funchess have come in for varying degrees of hype based on practice, rumors, potential, etc. And then you have a guy like Butt – who has been good, and probably will be excellent by the time he is a senior, but you haven’t seen the kind of elite athleticism or physicality that makes you think ‘beast’.
Henry has actually shown us he has elite ability, on the field, already. His only issue is consistency – which in my mind is a fixable thing with better coaching, which we all hope we have.
It’ll be interesting to see how they end up using him. I think they’re moving him around in part to see who their best 3 DL might be. So if he sticks at SDE, it’ll be because interior DTs like Hurst and Godin are playing better than the other SDE. I think they like the idea of making the offense thing about where Henry is too, if he proves to be the menace he can be.
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Well, I guess we have different standards for being “elite”. Lots of guys, including Henry, can make the occasional big, impressive play, but it is the consistency that Henry lacks that makes for an elite DT, as opposed to just a good one. The best DTs come like gangbusters on every play and are constantly disrupting opposing offenses. We’ve all seen the kind of DTs that go high 1st round in the draft, a guy like Suh, for example, and Henry just isn’t quite at that level. I think when he’s done here, he’ll be a quality draft pick, but not quite AA caliber, and I don’t see him as good enough that he should leave early at this point.
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No, I agree with you. I wasn’t saying he was elite last year. I’m saying he flashed that ability. All that’s missing is the consistency.
To be elite, you have to be be a playmaker AND be consistent. Consistency is developable. Talent to be a playmaker is much harder. If a guy is only an OK player (let’s use Jack Miller as an example), it doesn’t matter if he does his job every time, he was never going to be an elite player.
I think the natural comparison here is to Frank Clark and Devin Funchess, the two most talented players on last year’s team (arguably, but by the NFL draft they would be). To me, Clark is like Henry. Had flashes, stepped up and got 2nd team big 10 as a junior, and then stepped up to be at least pretty close to elite last year – till the offield stuff. We’ll see if it turns out (on the field) that way for Henry….
Funchess, I would say, was different. He showed flashes too, but it was at TE or as the #2 WR, never as the #1 WR. He hadn’t proven himself in the role that people saw for him yet – Clark did, and Henry has. It’s just they needed to do it every down. Funchess hadn’t shown enough to earn the expectations that people had for him a year ago. And while he did have his moments, I think we can all agree that 4 TDs was a major disappointment.
Because of what Henry has done so far, I have higher expectations for him than I did for Funchess a year ago. Like with Clark, I expect that talent would combine with experience to make him take the next step on the field.
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If you’re expecting Suh, you’re going to be disappointed. That guy was the #1 pick in the entire draft (or should have been) and is a hall-of-fame player. It’s like asking DBs to be Woodson or slot receivers to be Desmond.
I’d put my expectations more at like Martin or Graham level. Maybe 2nd-3rd round pick. That’s ambitious/optimistic but not insane. I’d only bump up to a first round level if he has a great year and comes back for his 5th year (which I don’t expect him to).
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I don’t consider leaving after 4 years to be ‘leaving early’.
The 5th year has to be mutually agreed upon and it goes both ways (e.g., Countess, Miller, Hayes). I think the presumption that every guy is going to use up all their available is fairly antiquated.
If Henry is on track to graduate in 4 years and he’s projected to go in Round 3 or higher, it’s hard to make an objective case for staying around an extra year, though different people have different priorities.
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“Solid run stopper”? That is not a label which comes to mind for Henry. He is more of an active DT whose game is quickly disengaging from OL and getting penetration. He absolutely has natural pass rushing skills for an interior player. His issues as Thunder points out are inconsistent effort and sloppy technique when he gets tired. His RS-Fr year was quite good, until he ran out of gas and had to play NT late in the season. He did not take much of a step forward last year, but we have seen him rough up enough OG’s to verify that he has the goods, and quite a high ceiling.
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I think he lives up to the hype this year. Eventually he settles in at DT and wreaks havoc. Goes pro after the season.
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Agree with what Roanman said, and they’re kind of already doing that. He’s played a bit of NT, DT, and he’s practicing at DE as well.
If these rankings were generated before fall camp, with the news that Mone is likely out for the season, would that adjust your positioning of Henry?
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