Trey Hendrickson of the Cincinnati Bengals has emerged as one of the league’s premiere defensive ends and edge rushers. Does he have what it takes to add the highest honor for defensive players to his resume? With his exceptional performance on the field, Hendrickson has showcased his ability to disrupt offenses and make impactful plays. What will Hendrickson need to do this coming season to bring home some hardware for his efforts?
Does Trey Hendrickson Have What it Takes to Win Defensive Player of the Year?
Last Year’s Performance
Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson was a force to be reckoned with during the 2023-24 season for both offensive linemen and quarterbacks. Hendrickson finished the season with 17.5 sacks, tying Jacksonville Jaguar Josh Allen and falling short of Pittsburgh’s T.J. Watt, who tallied 19 sacks.
Despite finishing second in sacks and recording three forced fumbles, the 2024 Pro Bowler did not receive a single vote for the coveted DPOY award. That fact seems mind-boggling when you compare his stats to Myles Garrett, last year’s award recipient.
Myles Garrett is a perennial favorite for the DPOY award and will be regarded as one of the greatest edge rushers ever. That being said, the 2023-24 Browns defense was one of, if not the best, in the league. With him being the best player on the best defense, it is fair to suggest that boosted his odds in voting last season. He ranked highly in many categories, such as sacks, tackles for loss, and forced fumbles. While he had a better overall season than Hendrickson, Hendrickson finished with 3.5 more sacks than Myles Garrett.
What Needs to Improve?
Having signed a one-year extension through 2025 last season, Hendrickson looks to turn heads and be a big problem for offenses before hitting free agency. One way to guarantee a larger payday come the 2025 offseason would be for Hendrickson to win the award or, at the very least, get a few votes.
To help secure the votes, the former Saint must improve in several categories to win the award. First, tackles for loss. Hendrickson finished last season with 16 tackles for loss, tying him in 12th place with former DPOY recipient, Aaron Donald.
While The Cincinnati Bengals defensive end is considered an elite pass rusher, his run-stopping needs to improve to be considered one of the league’s premium edge rushers. D.J. Reader is regarded by many as one of the NFL’s premiere run-stoppers, and with him coming off an injury and being a free agent, Hendrickson will likely have more opportunities to make tackles in the backfield this coming season.
Another facet that must improve is his wins off the snap vs. offensive linemen. Hendrickson was ranked 10th in pass rush win rate, which is undoubtedly an impressive mark, but compared to Micah Parsons, who led the league in pass rush wins, it is clear that Hendrickson will need to get in the backfield more frequently to improve his odds. Hendrickson won 21% of his pass rush downs versus Parsons’ who won 35% of his while being double-teamed almost twice as much.
2024-25 Defensive Player of the Year Outlook
FanDuel has Trey Hendrickson tied for ninth-best odds of winning the DPOY award. Anyone who has seen him play knows he is a fierce competitor who gives his all in any play. With the bitterness of missing last season’s playoffs and his free agency looming, Trey Hendrickson has what it takes and the motivation to solidify himself as an elite edge rusher and make a run at next season’s Defensive Player of the Year Award.