BALTIMORE — Closing out the fourth quarter has become a concerning problem for the Ravens. Over the past five seasons, Baltimore has blown an NFL-worst 16 leads in the final five minutes of games. Last season alone, the Ravens lost three games in which they held a second-half lead. Does anyone remember that colossal collapse in Buffalo? The Ravens sure do. Which brings us to Trey Hendrickson. ...

Outside linebacker Trey Hendrickson is joining the Baltimore Ravens after leaving Cincinnati Bengals.

Surya Vaidy/Baltimore Sun/TNS

BALTIMORE — Closing out the fourth quarter has become a concerning problem for the Ravens.

Over the past five seasons, Baltimore has blown an NFL-worst 16 leads in the final five minutes of games. Last season alone, the Ravens lost three games in which they held a second-half lead.

Does anyone remember that colossal collapse in Buffalo? The Ravens sure do.

Which brings us to Trey Hendrickson.

On Friday, the Ravens introduced the veteran pass rusher in a news conference at the team’s headquarters in Owings Mills. In doing so, the Ravens are hoping that they’ve added a “game-wrecker” who can finally help them seal the deal.

Since 2020, Hendrickson has recorded 28 1/2 fourth-quarter sacks, second-most in the NFL, trailing only Danielle Hunter (29) by a 1/2 sack, according to TruMedia. Hendrickson’s sack total also exceeds that of two-time and reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett (26 1/2).

Pretty elite company.

During that same span, Hendrickson has generated 84 fourth-quarter pressures, fifth-most in the NFL. Of note, Raiders star Maxx Crosby — the other accomplished pass rusher Baltimore nearly acquired before backing out of the blockbuster trade — ranks just ahead of him with 87.

Slice the pie however you want. Hendrickson (81 career sacks, 163 quarterback hits) consistently gets after the passer.

Especially when it matters most.

Of course, Hendrickson’s arrival also comes on the heels of a strange and chaotic week for the Ravens’ front office. Baltimore had already agreed to send two first-round picks to Las Vegas for Crosby before the deal collapsed during the physical process, raising questions about how thoroughly the team vetted the move in the first place. The chaotic episode created a brief moment of uncertainty about the Ravens’ decision-making behind the scenes.

General manager Eric DeCosta pivoted quickly, regained the team’s precious draft capital, and moved forward with Hendrickson.

“That closer mentality and finishing games in the fourth quarter — Trey is the epitome of that with how he’s played the last five years,” first-year coach Jesse Minter said. “He is one of the most dominant players in the National Football League.”

Minter spent the past two seasons orchestrating a defensive turnaround with the Los Angeles Chargers, and his challenge now is similar in Baltimore. The Ravens strayed from their longtime defensive standard and struggled to affect the quarterback in clutch moments, finishing with just 30 sacks, third-fewest in the NFL. Baltimore registered just nine sacks in the fourth quarter, tied for 25th in the league, and just three more than the league-worst Arizona Cardinals.

In Hendrickson, the Ravens believe that they’re adding both production and an important sense of presence.

“He’s going to draw attention,” Minter said. “Sometimes you have guys that draw attention, and other guys have opportunities to make plays. Then those guys start making plays, and the attention spreads out. We’ll try to do as many things as possible to create opportunities for Trey to wreck the game.”

DeCosta first noticed Hendrickson nearly a decade ago.

Then a little-known Florida Atlantic standout who finished his college career with a school-record 29 sacks, Hendrickson dominated in the week leading up to the 2017 East-West Shrine Game at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla. He was named the annual college football’s longest-tenured All-Star game’s Most Valuable Player.

“I call that a ‘sleeper’ game,” DeCosta said. “It’s not like the Senior Bowl — guys go down there maybe unheralded, maybe don’t have quite the reputation of some of these big-school guys. This guy was flying around. That left an impression on me that week. We did more work on him. We weren’t able to get him in the draft, but I’m not surprised by the trajectory of his career and what he’s been able to accomplish.

“I think he has a lot left in the tank.”

After signing the largest contract of his eight-year career, the veteran edge rusher didn’t shy away from the expectations that come with joining a franchise desperate to push deeper into the playoffs following consecutive years of postseason regression.

“The standard is high here, and I’m excited for that challenge,” Hendrickson said. “Incredible defense, incredible people, and looking forward to this season.”

He made his broader ambitions clear.

“I’m in a win-now window,” Hendrickson said. “My career has been phenomenal, and I’ve been so blessed to meet great people and win a lot of games with Drew Brees and Joe Burrow. But this opportunity to hoist the Lombardi Trophy, get into the win column and build something from the ground up is an amazing opportunity.”

The Ravens hope that Hendrickson’s mindset matches the role they envision.

Finishing games requires unmatched endurance and mental discipline. After the Ravens suffered their Week 1 collapse at Buffalo, veteran cornerback Marlon Humphrey acknowledged the lapse between teammates and the coaching staff in clutch moments with his claim that, “We’re just not mature enough as a team yet.”

Too often last year, the Ravens entered the final minutes needing one more stop, one more sack, one more disruptive play. And too often, those moments never surfaced.

Hendrickson brings the juice when it matters most. He traces that mentality back to his childhood.

“If we’re in a pinch, you have to have gas in the tank, and you have to be able to push when everybody else doesn’t want to. That’s something that was instilled in me by my father [Collie],” Hendrickson said. “I remember we were pushing his ’92 [Ford Mustang] 5.0 when Tim Tebow was doing it because it was cool in Florida. You want to quit the first quarter of a mile, but we finished every mile.

“That started way back in the day, so the fourth quarter is when you push the most. You finish your gassers, and it’s instilled in OTAs and training camp.”

Hendrickson’s excitement to attend voluntary workouts as the Ravens get acclimated to a new coaching staff under Minter sounds refreshing. Perhaps some of the team’s other veteran leaders take note.

Hendrickson might not be the same all-around player as Crosby, but when the fourth quarter arrives, the Ravens are hoping he’s the type of finisher they’ve been lacking.

Said Hendrickson: “Being in that position has been an incredible honor, and I plan on continuing to push myself to be the best I can be.”