Trey Hendrickson Is Key to Best- and Worst-Case Scenarios for Ravens Defense
Having a dominant defense has been a staple of the Ravens for decades, but last season’s unit fell short of that standard.
The team addressed the issue this offseason, signing four-time Pro Bowler Trey Hendrickson and veteran Calais Campbell while using a second-round pick on outside linebacker Zion Young . The Ravens also hired a defensive-minded head coach in Jesse Minter and an experienced defensive coordinator in former Raven Anthony Weaver.
Will the additions and changes return the defense to prominence?
Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport looked at the potential scenarios and contended that Hendrickson is a determining factor.
“The Ravens were terrible last year against the pass (30th in the NFL) in part due to a lack of sacks (30 — third-fewest in the league), and the team attacked that weakness in the offseason with the signing of edge rusher Trey Hendrickson. If Hendrickson can recapture the form that saw him post 17.5 sacks in 2023 and 2024 and Baltimore’s veteran secondary plays up to its potential, the Ravens could field the best defense in their division.”
“Hendrickson is also well past 30 and is coming off one of the worst seasons of his career, so it’s not certain he will instantly become a Pro Bowl edge rusher again. Two years ago, the Ravens logged 54 sacks (second-most in the NFL) and the pass defense ranked, um, 31st in the league. There’s no shortage of big names on the back end in Baltimore, but if the Ravens are abysmal against the pass again the team is going to be in major trouble.”
Hendrickson’s track record suggests the best-case is the likelier of the scenarios.
Hendrickson was limited to seven games last year due to a hip/pelvis injury that required core muscle surgery, but he still produced a 20% or better pass rush win rate and 90.3 or better PFF pass rush grade for the third consecutive season.