When it comes to the strongest rusher in the league, who will come to mind first? The first thing that comes to mind is definitely Garrett, Bossa and Watt. When asked about Hendrickson, even experts hesitated and reluctantly put him in second gear.
Last offseason, Meng Hu signed Hendrickson with an average annual salary of $15 million, releasing the promising Carl Lawson. At that time, this decision was criticized, Andrickson only played good football for one year, can such a performance be sustained?
When it comes to Hendrickson's contract years, one thing cannot be ignored: this is the first time in his career that he has made more than 50% of his appearances, due to the injury of the team's main passer Davenport and the vacancy created by Edwards' departure. In the previous three seasons, he had only made three starts and contributed a total of 6.5 tackles, while in the 2020 season, he got 15 starts and the number of tackles rose to 13.5.
The number of tackles is no longer the best measure of the ability of the punching passer. Compared with the number of pressures, tackles are more affected by external factors - the ability of the defender to stare at people, the ability to move the opponent's quarterbacks, etc., so the number of pressure can be used to better judge the ability to rush. From this dimension, although Hendrickson's tackles in the 2020 season are remarkable, his pressure rate has achieved a leap in the 2019 season.
The key to Hendrickson's success was his rapid start-up speed after kick-off. Meng Hu's senior assistant coach described this talent as unique, so he can put a lot of pressure on the opponent's attacking line. In the 2019 season, Hendrickson achieved a metamorphosis, with shorter start times and therefore more efficient passing. This was also confirmed last year by the Saints defensive coaching staff.
Dennis Allen, then Saints defensive coordinator, revealed that they had a long conversation with Hendrickson to help him recognize his strengths and ways to improve. The biggest problem Hendrickson had before was his weight. He weighed 265 pounds in the 2018 season, which is not ideal.
He adjusted his diet and sleep throughout the offseason, and his weight returned to 270 pounds, but he was much better, not only stronger, but also more agile. Coaches see this too. With a better body, then the number of pressure applied increases, and then the number of tackles increases.
But Saint Hendrickson's rushing passer is ranked after Cameron Jordan, and the progress he has made is difficult to be detected by the outside world. At this time, Meng Hu was determined to gamble. Defensive coordinator Lou Annarumer revealed they believe Hendrickson will not be short-lived in the offseason and that he will get better and better as the game time increases.
This season Hendrickson has proved Meng Hu's vision with performance. He has a pressure rating of 19.4 percent, a tackle rate of 3.4 percent, and the third fastest start-up speed in the league. Over the past two seasons, he has made ball transfers second only to Garrett and the Pirates' Barrett, ranking third in the league.
There is no doubt that Hendrickson is a great player. Every team that makes it to the Super Bowl has important passers: the opposing Rams' line-up is star-studded, with Miller on the outside and Donald on the inside. Meng Hu's rushing lineup has not been optimistic since entering the playoffs, but in Hendrickson's coach, Meng Hu's defensive team helped the team to create miracles step by step and reach the Super Bowl.
The university's defensive coordinator never imagined that Hendrickson would be the league's top rushing passer. But looking at the performances of the past few seasons, Hendrickson has the confidence to declare to the outside world: I am the top rusher in the league.