Jaguars agreed to trade franchise DE Yannick Ngakoue to Minnesota for a second- and conditional fifth-round pick that could go as high a third-round pick, league sources tell ESPN. Ngakoue still has to sign his tender, but trade is in place and Ngakoue is expected to be a Viking.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 30, 2020
The Minnesota Vikings are adding a major piece to Mike Zimmer’s defense ahead of the Green Bay Packers’ visit to U.S. Bank Stadium for Week 1 of the 2020 NFL season.
According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Vikings traded a pair of draft picks to the Jacksonville Jaguars for defensive end Yannick Ngakoue, a Pro Bowler in 2017 who has 37.5 career sacks.
In Minnesota, Ngakoue will replace Everson Griffen opposite Pro Bowl defensive end Danielle Hunter, giving Zimmer another disruptive pair of edge rushers to anchor his defensive front.
Last season, Ngakoue produced eight sacks, 15 quarterback hits, 13 tackles for losses, six pass breakups and four forced fumbles as a member of the Jaguars, who used the franchise tag to keep Ngakoue out of free agency this past spring.
According to Pro Football Focus, Ngakoue has ranked in the top 20 of the NFL for pass-rushing grades among edge rushers each of the last three years.
Adding Ngakoue to the mix will ensure the Vikings have an overall pass-rushing group capable of threatening the Packers offensive line in Week 1, especially as Matt LaFleur and the offense attempts to figure out what the right side of the offensive line will look like to start the season. Veterans Rick Wagner and Billy Turner are competing at training camp to be the starting right tackle to open the year.
The NFC North is loaded with pass-rushing duos. Hunter and Ngakoue are now together in Minnesota, joining Za’Darius Smith and Preston Smith in Green Bay and Khalil Mack and Robert Quinn, another new addition to the division, in Chicago.
