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jeanpierre

BY JOEL A. ERICKSON | JERICKSON@THEADVOCATE.COM AUG 20, 2018 - 3:45 PM

Defensive end has become a headline position for the New Orleans Saints.

Cameron Jordan might be better than ever. Alex Okafor's potential is a vaulted ceiling as long as the foundation remains intact. First-round pick Marcus Davenport commands a spotlight whether he's on the field or off.

Better not forget about Trey.

A third-round pick out of Florida Atlantic in the historic draft class the Saints put together last season, Hendrickson is coming off of a rookie season that looked a little more typical than his classmates' debut performances.

Hendrickson recorded 13 tackles, two sacks, five quarterback hits, two tackles-for-loss and a pair of batted passes in 282 snaps, even though there were four games in which he didn't play a defensive snap due to injury.

What he did show was enough to catch the attention of the All-Pro he plays behind.

"He is probably the most exciting in my mind, in terms of how he is going to progress this year," Jordan said.

Hendrickson, offered a chance to play extra snaps during this training camp as Jordan eases his way back from offseason surgery to remove bone spurs in his foot, has been a force on the practice field.

Always a high-effort player, Hendrickson appears poised to make the second-year jump a lot of players make after their rookie season.

"You feel him," Saints coach Sean Payton said. "There is a physical presence to him. It is not necessarily the feistiness, it is how a player plays between the whistles."

By virtue of his motor, Hendrickson always had a presence to him on the practice field.

A season of NFL football has given him a body better capable of taking advantage of all that effort.

"He is stronger," Payton said. "Fortunately, right now he is healthy."

Health was Hendrickson's biggest issue as a rookie.

A training-camp injury slowed his growth before the season opener, and a knee injury suffered against Atlanta cost Hendrickson the final three games of the year. In between those two injuries, Hendrickson dealt with a bunch of nagging injuries.

Being fully healthy throughout this camp has allowed Hendrickson to stack lessons on top of each other, and on top of all of the lessons he learned as a rookie.

"I'm just trying to absorb as much information as possible," Hendrickson said.

Hendrickson's work ethic fits well with defensive line coach Ryan Nielsen, a stickler for the details who has helped the rookie refine all aspects of his technique.

Hendrickson believes that attention to detail can help him take the next step.

"A heightened focus on the little things," Hendrickson said. "The details are what separates people in this league."

The results have been obvious.

Hendrickson has two tackles and two quarterback hits in the preseason, but he's been a daily force in practice. Playing mostly on the left side — Jordan's natural spot — Hendrickson has caught the eye of the Defensive Player of the Year candidate in front of him.

"He doesn’t have that skewed perception of just seeing a man in front of him now," Jordan said. "Now he is broadening that vision, he is able to take in what motion is (happening) and what the backfield looks like. He is growing nicely."

With Jordan, Okafor and Davenport all competing for snaps and a long list of other edge rushers trying to make the roster, Hendrickson's role in the rotation remains to be seen.

But that might not matter.

Hendrickson, Okafor and Jordan can all rush from the inside, and the NFL's best defensive lines can send wave after wave of pass rushers at a quarterback without missing a beat.

The way Hendrickson's been playing in camp, the Saints might have another on their hands.

It's not that my way is the right way, I just make the right way my way...

K Major

X factor for Trey ... D line coach Nielsen.


Davenport is up next.

Thirty3

Don't forget Loewen showing some good stuff too!

Rugby Saint II

T-Rex is a monster! Personally, I think it's a good nick name. T-Rex was the king!

K Major

Quick thought I had in regards to Trey aka "T-Rex" ...

Derek Barnett (Philly 1st rd/14 pick) arm length is basically the same (32 1/8 vs 32) but you rarely heard draft analyst & experts mention that leading up to the draft. Again, just a random thought I had.

jeanpierre

Really believe it was more about the schools they were coming from upon entering the draft...

This is why I'm so skeptical of Davenport - his school, competition, et al; Trey should as much maturity and is only slighter in stature, but has a non-stop motor...

It'll be a good thing in the end as we'll have two good defensive ends for years to come, but Trey's advancement will show how badly Payton reached...

K Major

...

K Major

I get the small school argument, but there is no denying Davenport's technique against the run and pass was consistently pretty damn good no matter who he was playing against. The guy is 6'6, runs a 4.58 (freakish), powerful and can set the edge (Deuce M has been preaching this for 5 years now). See elite rushers from small programs- Khalil Mack, Demarus Ware, Jason Taylor, Chandler Jones.

I strongly believe Coach Nielsen will show us why so many NC State D lineman went in the last NFL draft. Coach him up!!

Sorry men, didn't intend to turn this into a M Davenport thread. Yeah ... that Trey feller is pretty damn good too.

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