Trey Hendrickson Is Already Emerging as a Leader for the Baltimore Ravens

Even though the Baltimore Ravens won't be putting pads on for another couple of months, with their first full training camp practice slated to take place on July 23, that hasn't stopped four-time Pro Bowl pass rusher Trey Hendrickson from making his presence on the field.

The 10th-year veteran was the team's prized offseason addition who they inked to the largest free agent contract in franchise history. He has lived up to expectations thus far through the second week of voluntary Organized Team Activities, blowing up plays in full-team dreams, leading with his words and by example.

"He's coming into a new situation, new defense [and] new terminology," head coach Jesse Minter said. "Just to watch his process of how he learns, how he needs to know what he needs to know and also know what everybody else is doing. He's an unbelievable leader in the edge room. He's helping really bring those young guys along as well."

According to multiple reports from the local media in attendance for the second open practice session in as many weeks, he was especially disruptive at the end of practice when they were running some late-game and obvious passing-down scenarios.

On one of the rare instances that he wasn't able to get around the edge and dart into the backfield for a would-be sack, he batted down the intended pass at the line of scrimmage, displaying the kind of timely playmaking the Ravens envisioned he'd bring to the team after signing him.

“He's an unbelievable leader in the edge room,” Minter said. “He's helping really bring those young guys along as well. I think it was a lot of third-down [work] at the end of practice, and that's why he's here – to help close out those situations for us on defense.”

One of the first stats that Minter brought up at Hendrickson's introductory press conference back in March was how he ranks second in the league in fourth-quarter sacks since 2021 and how they expect him to continue being a closer in Baltimore, an asset they've sorely lacked since the heyday of franchise sack leader Terrell Suggs.

"That's why he's here," Minter said. "To help close out those situations for us on defense."

Hendrickson has recorded double-digit sacks four times in his career and is a year removed from back-to-back seasons of posting 17.5 in 2023 and 2024. A core muscle injury cut his 2025 campaign short after he recorded four sacks in seven games, a total that would've been just one shy of the Ravens' team lead last year.

"He's an extremely well-defined technical rusher," Minter said. "He uses his hands really, really well. He can bend really well. He's really good at seeing the snap count and being able to do that. He knows how to attack different tackles based on how they set, things like that.

Having him in the fold along with the expected maturation of Mike Green in year two, reunion with future Hall of Fame defensive lineman Calais Campbell, slated return from injury of Pro Bowl defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike, continued ascent of nose tackle Travis Jones and addition of second-round rookie Zion Young, the Ravens' pass rush could be a force to be reckoned with in 2026.

Being a two-way mentor

Former Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson (91) assists with drills during a preseason training camp practice. — Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson (91) assists with drills during a preseason training camp practice in downtown Cincinnati on Thursday, July 31, 2025. | Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Hendrickson isn't just an invaluable asset to the development of the Ravens young pass rushers like Green, Young and fourth-year pro Tavius Robinson. His presence on the edge provides a great litmus test and challenge for the offensive linemen task with blocking him in practice in full-team drills and eventually one-on-ones when the time comes.

With two-time Pro Bowl veteran left tackle Ronnie Stanley not in attendance for Wednesday's open practice, second-year pro Carson Vinson got to run with the first-team offense on the blindside, which meant seeing Hendrickson early and often.

"They just work really well together," Minter said. "It's non-competitive, but they talk a lot after each play. I was talking to him in the weight room this morning about it. They help each other out. They talk about their pass sets, their run blocking and their hand placement. So, it's invaluable for him."

The Ravens selected Vinson as a developmental prospect in the fifth-round of last year's draft out of Alabama A&M, a Historically Black College, with the hopes of grooming him into the left tackle of the future at best and a quality swing tackle option at worst. He managed to acheive the latter by the end of his rookie season, supplanting veteran Joseph Noteboom down the stretch.

After an offseason taking part in an NFL weight-training program instead of taking part in the whirlwind that is the pre-draft process, he is noticeably bigger in a positive way, per reports, and his second head coach in as many years.

"I think he's done a great job this offseason getting bigger and stronger," Minter said. "He's put in a lot of work, and I am very excited about him... Anytime you get reps, it's just a great opportunity to improve."

As for Hendrickson, the 31-year-old is also still finding more ways to improve his game despite already being an established playmaker with a proven pedigree as a prolific pass rusher with a hefty annual average salary to match.

"[It's] just how he plays. He brings it every play," Minter said. "I think he's done a great job learning some different techniques that maybe he hasn't done before and playing the run and doing things like that. So, I am just very excited, and very, very, very pleased with Trey up to this point, and I am excited to have him on our side."

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