I think you are going to see a lot more positive moves up in weight because of the new-ish weight cutting rules. Because guys can't use IVs anymore to rehydrate after massive cuts, you're seeing a lot more guys fight closer to their natural weight. For Hendricks, he always killed himself trying to make that 170 welterweight limit, which is why he missed weight or looked miserable so often. His cardio should be much better at 185 and honestly his power could be better.
As you mentioned, he didn't have a dazzling middleweight debut, but I would be cautious about betting against him in this matchup. I don't see him beating the Whitakers of the division, but he should be physically better at 185 and more effective against middling fighters like Boetsch.