NFL insider has wild take about Bengals draft, Trey Hendrickson trade

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Apr 23, 2025 - 20:00
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NFL insider has wild take about Bengals draft, Trey Hendrickson trade

The noise around the Cincinnati Bengals trading defensive end Trey Hendrickson had cratered. Justifiably so, too, considering it's extremely unlikely, given the leverage the team holds and what unfolded so far.

But something was bound to pop up this close to the NFL draft and has, courtesy of ESPN's Peter Schrager, who went on Pat McAfee's show and suggested the Bengals could be more open to a Hendrickson trade after they pick a pass-rusher in Round 1.

“If [the Bengals] take Shemar Stewart," Schrager said," that suddenly makes Trey Hendrickson a lot more easy to get rid of.”

RELATED: Bengals mock draft 2025: Picking Cincy's path through 7 rounds

Shemar Stewart is easily one of the best draft targets for the Bengals in the first round. His scheme versatility, frame and upside make him an ideal fit -- on the same line as Hendrickson, Joseph Ossai and Myles Murphy.

The problem with trading Hendrickson after making a first-round pick is obvious. For as good of a prospect as he is, Stewart had just 4.5 sacks over 37 games in college. Feeling comfortable enough to trade the NFL's reigning sacks leader in the middle of his prime because of Stewart's arrival would be foolish.

Granted, Schrager is just giving an example of when notable trade candidate veterans could be moved -- during the draft itself, not before it. But if the Bengals weren't going to trade Hendrickson at the height of free agency, they're probably going to keep calling his bluff after they make the No. 17 pick, no matter who they select.

RELATED: Bengals' unexpected contract news could change draft outlook

This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: NFL insider has wild take about Bengals draft, Trey Hendrickson trade

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