The Baltimore Ravens are counting on Trey Hendrickson to boost a feeble pass rush, and he’s already proving equipped for the job by revealing the secret to his success. A secret not lost on one of the best blindside protectors in the NFL, All-Pro left tackle Ronnie Stanley.
Hendrickson possesses “great twitch and great bend,” according to Stanley, per Ravens.com Editorial Director Ryan Mink. Stanley noted how Hendrickson’s “good at all those things that a lot of defensive ends find really hard, like bending the edge and being strong while he’s bending the edge.”
Those qualities aren’t unique to Hendrickson, but Stanley spelled out exactly what makes the 31-year-old different among elite edge-rushers: “He knows how to counter back into power off his bend. A lot of guys, they’ll rush straight up. They don’t have a lot of bend in their rush. He always has bend in his rush. He always has bend towards the quarterback, always putting pressure toward the quarterback. It’s never a soft rush.”
Stanley’s words were part of universal praise for four-time Pro Bowler Hendrickson from several key members of the Ravens. Yet, Stanley’s take carries more weight.
He’s ideally placed to know why Hendrickson is primed to defy his critics and turn an underperforming defense into a unit offenses will fear in 2026.
Ronnie Stanley’s Trey Hendrickson Take Has Credibility
Few players are as experienced as Stanley competing against Hendrickson. The two did battle twice a season for the last five campaigns when Hendrickson was a member of AFC North rivals the Cincinnati Bengals.
Stanley’s also “been blocking him all summer at Ravens training camp. It’s been an iron-sharpens-iron situation,” according to Mink.
Stanley’s assessment of Hendrickson not only explains why the latter is so tough to block. It also sheds light on why Hendrickson is not as widely appreciated as some of his pass-rushing peers, despite logging 85.5 career sacks, including the playoffs.
Mink pointed out “Hendrickson isn’t looked at in the same way as some of the freakishly athletic pass rushers in his class.” Including Myles Garrett, Micah Parsons, and Will Anderson Jr.
Hendrickson’s overlooked because of a no-frills style of creating pressure. He often wins with pure power, slamming two hands into the chest of an offensive tackle, and bull-rushing the blocker back into his quarterback.
It’s a simple way to travel. Like for this sack of Patrick Mahomes against the Kansas City Chiefs from 2024.
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This was classic Hendrickson, but he was far from his best in 2025, when back and hip injuries cost him 10 games. When he’s healthy, he still lacks a highlight spin move or breathtaking speed off the edge.
The absence of those things, along with his age and injury history, are among the reasons the Ravens have been told to worry about Hendrickson’s $112-million contract. Fortunately, Hendrickson still possesses the core technique, knowledge and consistency to take over games as an edge-rusher.
He’s been passing on some of that knowledge at a vital spot for the Ravens.
Ravens Already Benefitting from Stud Pass-Rusher
Hendrickson has already been everything the Ravens hoped they were getting when they committed nine figures to him in free agency. Outside linebackers coach Harland Bower called the veteran edge a “pro’s pro,” somebody who “sees the game like a coach,” per SB Nation’s Baltimore Beatdown Managing Editor Nikhil Mehta.
Having a natural strategist and educator in the pass-rush room is a huge boost for the Ravens. General manager Eric DeCosta has invested premium draft picks in young edge defenders like Mike Green and Zion Young, so the Ravens need somebody to teach those players the finer points of getting to quarterbacks at the pro level.
Hendrickson’s an excellent teaching point for Green and Young, but also for incumbent Tavius Robinson. The latter is more of an edge-setter against the run, but Robinson worked closely with Hendrickson after minicamp this offseason, according to Mink: “For the six weeks between the end of minicamp and beginning of training camp, they arrived every morning at around 7 a.m., did recovery first, hit the field around 8 a.m., lifted, then talked about pass rush.”
Hendrickson can impart words of wisdom to Robinson and Co., but his best way to teach is by example. Fortunately, he’s been impressive in the pads this offseason, like when Hendrickson dominated a joint practice with the Minnesota Vikings, per The Baltimore Sun’s Brian Wacker.
He noted on August 20, “Trey Hendrickson has had at 2-3 sacks today. And Vikings Christian Darrisaw is one of the league’s best tackles.”
This is the kind of performance the Ravens signed Hendrickson to replicate often once the games matter. He already looks set to deliver as the unique menace Stanley described.
Ravens’ All-Pro Reveals Trey Hendrickson Secret