Marcus Davenport may be good, but Trey Hendrickson has been great

Marcus Davenport has had injuries that have sidelined him in all three seasons, and now, Trey Hendrickson may have taken his starting spot.

Marcus Davenport is set to return from yet another injury as the Saints take on the Philadephia Eagles in the City of Brotherly Love. Davenport likely won’t start the game as his time as a starter for this season is likely up.

His injuries have cleared the way for Trey Hendrickson.

To be fair, Hendrickson has been phenomenal, but having Cameron Jordan on the opposite side of the line will bolster anyone’s numbers. Hendrickson has taken advantage of that, and he’s been able to abuse opposing quarterbacks.

He’s been great this season and is tied for third in the league with 10.5 sacks this season. TJ Watt and Aaron Donald are the two at the top of the list. After them, Hendrickson shares the third spot with players like Myles Garrett and Za’Darius Smith.

Davenport, on the other hand, when he’s on the field, just isn’t as dominant as Hendrickson. Hendrickson has 19 quarterback hits and 21 tackles, having done it all in just 456 snaps, the most of his four-year career.

When you look at Davenport’s numbers in the snaps that he’s given, they just don’t compare favorably for the former first-round pick. Davenport has 1.5 sacks this season and has 212 snaps to his name.

He was brought into the be an elite pass rusher. The Saints traded up to snatch him in the top 15 of the 2020 NFL Draft when all along they had already drafted their superstar alongside a plethora of other top-tier players in 2017.

Davenport may still have a higher ceiling than Hendrickson. He has the athleticism and the instincts that it takes to be great, but so far this season and for what may be the long-term future, Hendrickson is the better option.

The duo helping out Cam Jordan on the line is important, and the best of both worlds is what New Orleans should crave. They’ll eventually be forced to choose as both players will enter free agency in the next few seasons.

Let’s just say that’ll have to be an interesting decision for Mickey Loomis and company.