4 major threats the Carolina Panthers must silence in Week 9 at Bengals
By Noah Bryce
Carolina Panthers must silence Trey Hendrickson
Trey Hendrickson may not be a household name for much of the NFL fanbase. But that doesn’t mean the towering defensive end isn’t a threat to be reckoned with.
The Florida Atlantic product has four sacks on the year. While that may not seem like much when compared with others around the league, Hendrickson is an incredibly disruptive force on the edge and stats don’t always do that justice.
The Carolina Panthers know all about this.
Hendrickson may not have gotten the publicity of his much-touted running mate Cameron Jordan during their time together with the New Orleans Saints, but the edge defender has put together two straight seasons with at least 13 sacks. That’s no easy feat, especially after making the transition from linebacker to a more traditional role at the line of scrimmage.
Agility to run around the left tackle and the power to bull through them are key traits to succeeding in the NFL. Hendrickson has both in spades and this will be a major test of the recent improvements made by rookie standout Ikem Ekwonu.
The No. 6 overall selection has been one of the best tackles in the league over the last few weeks. But that also hasn’t been against the stiffest of competition either.
Hendrickson has the football IQ to shed the block when necessary and get after a quarterback attempting to escape the pocket. The defensive end has it all, which is a scary proposition facing Ekwonu in Week 9.