Most underappreciated Bengal: Trey Hendrickson

[Shake n Blake]

(10-16-2023, 10:25 PM)007BengalsFan Wrote: Atkins was either all pro 1st or 2nd team in 2011, 2012 and 2015.  Aaron Donald made his first all pro team in 2015.  Atkins was drafted a few years before Donald so you cant say Atkins was never the best at his position when the two player's careers dont completely line up.  Atkins was being named 1st team all pro while Donald was still in college so you cant say he wasnt the best at his position when Donald wasnt even in the league to compare Atkins to.

I knew someone would step in and point out that their careers didn't entirely overlap. 

Let's just leave Donald out of this and say that Atkins "only" won 1st team all-pro twice, so how many times was he the consensus #1 DT? Not often.

That said, you're not debating my overall point, here. There's not a huge gap between 2nd at your position and 5th at your position (apparently, PFF has Hendrickson 3rd this year, thanks, Pistons), and it was easier for Atkins to get recognition for that type of impact at the DT spot than it is for a DE to get recognition.

Imo, the best argument for Atkins is that getting pressure up the middle is better than edge pressure. I just don't see a huge gap in impact overall.

Also, as much as I loved Geno (he was my favorite defensive player, probably ever), he did have a lot of stretches where he went invisible. I don't feel that way about Hendrickson.