Jesse Minter is walking into a brand new situation and a first-time experience as a rookie head coach in Baltimore in 2026.
He likes what he's seen and seems to have great faith in the role his key veterans will play in their first season together. Last week, Minter gushed over how impressed he was by running back Derrick Henry and his willingness to soak up as much information as possible while adjusting to the new staff. This week, Minter directed his loving gaze toward a new arrival: edge rusher Trey Hendrickson.
"Just the way he operates. I think we were talking about Derrick last week, and Trey's very similar in a sense," Minter explained Wednesday. "He's coming into a new situation, new defense [and] new terminology. Just to watch his process of how he learns, how he needs to know what he needs to know and also know what everybody else is doing.
"He's an unbelievable leader in the edge room. He's helping really bring those young guys along as well. I think it was a lot of third-down [work] at the end of practice, and that's why he's here -- to help close out those situations for us on defense."
The Ravens certainly lacked a defensive closer in 2025, too often relying on safety Kyle Hamilton to pull off incredible feats to bail out the unit in key moments. Hamilton is back in 2026, but he's no longer alone thanks to Hendrickson's decision to leave Cincinnati for the AFC North-rival Ravens.
Instead of worrying about game-planning for Hendrickson, Minter is eager to deploy the veteran against every opponent.
"He's an extremely well-defined technical rusher. So, he uses his hands really, really well," Minter explained of Hendrickson. "He can bend really well. He's really good at seeing the snap count and being able to do that. He knows how to attack different tackles based on how they set, things like that.
"But man, [it's] just how he plays. He brings it every play. I think he's done a great job learning some different techniques that maybe he hasn't done before and playing the run and doing things like that. So, I am just very excited, and very, very, very pleased with Trey up to this point, and I am excited to have him on our side."
Baltimore's inability to finish in 2025 cost John Harbaugh his job and the Ravens a playoff spot. They'll accept nothing less in 2026, even with Minter's rookie coach status being considered. The time is now to win, a reality underscored by additions like Hendrickson, who brings 85.5 career sacks with him to Charm City.
So far, Minter is embracing the challenge. He knows it's difficult to win consistently in the NFL, but with Hendrickson standing as a key figure in Minter's defense, the coach likes their chances.
