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It might be time for the New York Jets to add another piece to the defensive puzzle.
Gilberto Manzano of Sports Illustrated listed veteran pass rusher Yannick Ngakoue as the top free agent still available. He also said his best team fit would be with Gang Green.
“The Jets would benefit from having Ngakoue as a rotational pass rusher, especially given he could provide a safety net in case rookie Will McDonald IV struggles to find his footing. The best teams (such as the 49ers and Eagles) have depth at edge rusher, and the Jets are hoping to reach that level with a talented defense to accompany their high expectations with the arrival of Aaron Rodgers.”
Ngakoue did a full interview on SiriusXM NFL Radio and revealed his plan for the 2023 offseason:
“For me, personally, I’ve been to a couple of stops and instead of doing these visits, I’m ready to have a stable home and just to be able to be on a multi-year deal, I can be able to ground myself and start on things, really focusing on my family and trying to start a family, things like that.”
Yannick Ngakoue Could Provide Another Weapon for the Jets Defense
Ngakoue is 28 years of age and has become a hired mercenary over the last couple of years.
Over the last three seasons, the former Maryland product has played for four different NFL squads. Despite the constant movement, Ngakoue has produced when called upon.
During his seven seasons in the league, Ngakoue has registered 65 sacks, 21 forced fumbles, and has delivered 135 quarterback hits.
One of the reasons he is still available this late in the NFL offseason is his not so well rounded game.
Manzano of Sports Illustrated said Ngakoue “struggles in many areas” but he excels in the most important category which is rushing the passer.
That is all that matters to a team like the Jets. They rotate their defensive linemen anyway so they could utilize Ngakoue in special pass-rushing packages to maximize his talents.
The veteran EDGE got lost in the sauce because he was on a terrible Indianapolis Colts team in 2022. However, he still produced a 9.5-sack season in 15 games of action.
Jets Can Never Have Enough Pass Rushers
Last season the Jets only had three pass rushers that recorded at least five sacks:
- Quinnen Williams (12)
- Carl Lawson (7)
- John Franklin-Myers (5)
While they have a lot of big names in the room heading into 2023, you can never have enough pass rushers in a quarterback-driven league.
Head coach Robert Saleh said the team plans on playing with more leads next season with Aaron Rodgers at quarterback.
That should provide more opportunities for these EDGE players to eat and that should be an attractive quality.
“At this stage in my career, being in my later 20s, I definitely want to play for a contender, play for a team and organization that wants to win a Super Bowl,” Ngakoue explained during a SiriusXM NFL Radio interview. “That’s one of the things on my agenda is to be able to help and contribute to that. Hopefully, I can gain some great interest from a contender.”
Ngakoue also made it clear that he isn’t seeking a one-year prove-it deal and is instead hoping for a multiyear commitment from a contender in 2023, per Nick Shook of NFL.com.
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