Cincinnati Bengals DE Trey Hendrickson's wild reputation recognized by three-time Pro Bowl left tackle

Cincinnati Bengals edge defender Trey Hendrickson has been a pain for many left tackles to block over the years. Three-time Pro Bowl left tackle Dion Dawkins of the Buffalo Bills knows what the pain exactly entails.

While appearing on The Herd with Colin Cowherd , Dawkins gave massive respect to Hendrickson and described him as his favorite player to face on Sundays.

"My favorite player that I play against is Trey from the Bengals, Trey Hendrickson, Dawkins told Cowherd. "He is one of the best players that, I think, just mentally, physically and just what he does on the football field."

One of Hendrickson's unique qualities makes him stand out in Dawkins' eyes, and it has nothing to do with any pass rush move or athleticism trait.

No gloves makes Trey Hendrickson scarier

Dawkins has noted that Hendrickson is one of the most ruthless pass rushers he faces every year, and while going 100 miles per hour wasn't enough, he does so without wearing gloves.

"He comes out there and he plays with no gloves," Dawkins said. "That is one of those weird tells that when you come out on the football field and you see a player and you're looking at him on snap one you're like, all right, his helmet is tied up, he has his shoes, all right, swag check, okay, let's see what type of player he is. And then you look at his hands, and his hands, he has no gloves on."

Going gloveless sure hasn't limited Hendrickson's production. He's notched 39.5 regular season sacks since joining the Bengals in 2021 since the New Orleans Saints fumbled the bag with him . It's the fact that he's a trench player going to war all game without that added protection that fascinates Dawkins.

"For a player that plays with his hands all game, like that means that you're just a little bit like, all right, he's a real football player," Dawkins said. "And then he comes and he hits you every single play, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. Every rep, every play. He's coming at you."

Hendrickson's reputation is well established in Cincinnati. He's earned the nickname "Blackout Trey" for how hard he goes in both practices and games. It took only a couple training camp practices last year for him to get in a scuffle with left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. that scarred his neck .

But if you didn't know any of that, all you'd have to do is notice what Dawkins noticed. No gloves for a defensive lineman might as well be the equivalent of a kid wearing all-black Air Force 1s.

Steer clear when you can.

Related: Trey Hendrickson explains why he's back practicing with Bengals following his trade request