NFL Draft: Mayock Connects Carolina Panthers with Trey Hendrickson
Could Trey Hendrickson be a member of the Carolina Panthers by the end of the week?
The Carolina Panthers could certainly use some youth at the defensive end position to help take some of the workload off the veterans like Julius Peppers and Charles Johnson. If NFL Network’s Mike Mayock was making the call, he sees Trey Hendrickson out of Florida Atlantic as a logical fit after the first round.
"If the Panthers taking a running back with the No. 8 overall pick, what about a pass rusher later in the draft? One possible fit is Florida Atlantic’s Trey Hendrickson, who Mayock views as a third-round value. He’s a bit undersized, but he was a dominant presence at the East-West Shrine Game practice week in January, and Mayock sees a scheme fit for him in Carolina.More from Carolina Panthers NewsPanthers potential free-agent targets beginning to emerge at rapid rateRanking the top-five QB prospects the Panthers could draft in 20234 remaining Carolina Panthers cap crunches after Damien Wilson releaseCould Duce Staley help Carolina Panthers land Jamaal Williams in 2023?4 Panthers rumors to emerge from 2023 NFL Scouting Combine"
Hendrickson was very productive in his final two seasons at Florida Atlantic with 30 total tackles for losses and 23 per Sports-Reference.
According to Pro Football Focus, this production didn’t go unnoticed. Hendrickson finished with the highest pass-rushing productivity in the nation at 20.5.
In their scouting report of Hendrickson, he drew comparisons to Brook Reed. They believe both have a very similar skill set however Hendrickson is viewed as the slightly better athlete.
"Reed and Hendrickson are incredibly similar as pass-rushers right down to their overused and rarely effective spin move. Hendrickson has a bit more explosiveness than Reed, though he’ll likely struggle as a pass-rusher early in his career until he’s coached up to an NFL level."
Next: NFL Draft - Panthers Top-10 Pick History
The Carolina Panthers could certainly use depth at the defensive end position. A player like Hendrickson would be an excellent choice for this role. He could come in primarily on passing downs as a way to give Johnson and Peppers a break throughout the course of a game.