(Photo: Bleacher Report)
10. Trey Hendrickson– The NFL and College Football are around the corner. A few weeks from now, I’ll be previewing games each month on this site until the Super Bowl and I’m excited for that! We’ve just kicked off the preseason, four new legends have taken their place in Canton at the Pro Football Hall of Fame, NCAA and NFL division previews are all complete and now, I’m left with one more project: The “Best In The Business” where I give you my ten best players in the NFL today. This year, four new players will make their debuts and once again, offense has dominated. Whenever I watched the Cincinnati Bengals last season, I often stated on the radio or the website that they won games because of three numbers which are number nine (Burrow) , number one (Chase) and number 91. Trey Hendrickson kicks off this edition of “Best In The Business” and checks in as my tenth-best player and third-ranked defensive player.
I believe he’s the most underrated defender in our league and hasn’t received his due. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the second round in 2017 and spent the first four years of his career in New Orleans before signing with the Bengals in 2021. In Cincinnati, he’s become such a gem and the best player and shining point on a defense that hasn’t been the greatest. On the field, he’s abuses whoever is in front of him and will attack in different ways in those one-on-one looks. Many EDGE guys are judged based off their get off and Trey has one of the cleanest releases off the snap of the ball, plus, when he’s been given the green light, he is thinking sack each time and will come away with one per game. Trey is a technician at the position and is able to use his hands at the highest levels as he uses several different hand motions to win those battles. He does such a great job of anticipating the snap count and it’s safe to say he’s become an expert or perfectionist when it comes to beating people off the edge. I think what stands out to me the most about Trey is the relentless pursuit he plays with as there are times when he maybe locked up and gets blocked out of the play, but as football players, we are taught to play until that whistle is blown. I remember a specific play from the 2023 season on a Sunday night when the Bengals were hosting the Buffalo Bills. Trey appeared to be pushed out of the play and Josh Allen was able to escape and move up from the pocket, but in came number 91 to still bring him down. Whether he’s rushing the passer or stopping the run, he’s a difference maker for his defense and does it all with the same consistency.
I’ve seen him sack Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson who many consider the three best playing the position as we speak. Josh is magical with his feet and Trey was able to steer him down and we know what Lamar can do when given the running lanes. I’ve always admired the EDGE guys that can bait the Offensive Linemen to a specific spot and then, he beats you with a swim move, club, spin or bull rush. He’s finished the last two seasons with 17.5 sacks and last year, he led the league in sacks and was awarded the Deacon Jones award which is given to the league leader in sacks.
