#10 - TE. Tyler Henderson
Tyler Henderson came onto the Red Dragons roster that touted an established veteran star at Tight end and some young developmental guys at the position as well. But, where he was dropping to in the 1st round almost became a no brainer for the Red Dragons. Although the need was not there at the time, best available was there and the value aligned, so Coach Davis decided to add another weapon for Savoy and his offense by adding the skill set of Henderson.
Henderson sat most of his rookie season as McClure was coming off a great year winning the Relobowl with a rookie QB, so the plan was to get him some action but he was not ready to take on an impact role in the offense. Although the Red Dragons did not make the playoffs his rookie year, it was not a waste. He got to spend his time as a rookie learning what it took to be a pro in the RFL, what it took to be a Red Dragon and what it will take from him to be a Tight End in a Coach Davis offense….and he had the right person in McClure to show him the ropes.
With an aging roster, it was only a matter of time for Coach Davis to start getting some of his younger talent involved. Tyler got some buzz during training camp of last season and the staff decided to implement him into some of the play calling and gameplan. This seemed to work out as McClure went down for half the season due to injury (through 2 separate stints) and it was Henderson’s time to step up.
The young Wolverine was able to pull in 49 receptions for 509 yards and 3 TDs. These numbers don’t jump out as being all pro but not losing any production at the tight end position after the injury of McClure (51 rec. 414 yards 2 TDs) made his numbers impressive.
Tyler Henderson earned #10 spot on the Season 7 Impact Players List for the Red Dragons by learning what it takes to be a Red Dragon. This was by him knowing his role and being able to be the complete player that they needed and drafted. It wasn’t just running routes and catching the ball (1 dropped pass on the season), it was wanting to be involved in the running game and doing the dirty work while also still being a huge presence on special teams.
The ceiling remains high for Henderson, #10 on this list was a great spot for him. Look for Tyler to find himself becoming more of an impact on the Red Dragons offense this upcoming season.
Who will be #9 on the list……Stay tuned