Contract dispute aside, there’s no doubting Hendrickson is among the NFL’s best edge rushers.
This is the point of the offseason when rankings start to get formulated. These rankings can change based on developments throughout the offseason, but it’s never too early to start the debates on which players are the best at their key positions.
Pro Football Focus has been doing their position rankings, and they revealed their edge rusher rankings.
Bengals edge rusher Trey Hendrickson checks in at No. 7 on the list. I’m sure there are many Bengals fans who will seriously wonder how six edge rushers can be ranked above Hendrickson, considering he led the NFL with 17.5 sacks last season and has 35 over the last two seasons.
PFF’s criteria for its edge rusher rankings are “A comprehensive approach, factoring in career trajectory, advanced metrics, and in-depth film evaluation.”
Here is what PFF’s Ryan Smith has to say about Hendrickson:
“The 2024 season was the best of Hendrickson’s career. He led the NFL with 17.5 sacks and tied Myles Garrett for the league lead with 83 total pressures, his fourth consecutive season with 70 or more. His 20.0% pass-rush win rate tied Nick Bosa for the third-best mark in the league.”
There’s no doubt that PFF recognizes that Hendrickson is among the game’s best at edge rusher. He’s a menace off the edge. When he gets going, as we saw against Kansas City, Las Vegas, and Pittsburgh last season, it is very difficult to slow down a player like him who goes hard-core, 100% on every snap.
The six edge rushers ranked ahead of Hendrickson are Maxx Crosby (Raiders), Aidan Hutchinson (Lions), Nick Bosa (49ers), T.J. Watt (Steelers), Micah Parsons (Cowboys), and Myles Garrett (Browns).