It’s no secret the Seattle Seahawks will prioritize improving one of the league’s worst pass rush units heading into the 2020 season.
Re-signing star defensive end Jadeveon Clowney is no doubt the top priority, but the team has other options they could pursue, either instead of Clowney or alongside him, depending how much of the cap they want to commit along the defensive front.
Perhaps the most talked about name (outside of Clowney) is Jacksonville defensive end Yannick Ngakoue. Ngakoue is expected to be franchise tagged by the Jaguars, and he has made it extremely clear he does not intend to play for them in 2020 – meaning a trade is all but certain.
Taking on Ngakoue at the franchise tag would cost Seattle $19.3 million against the cap next year, a really tall price tag – especially if they want to pair Ngakoue with Clowney.
However – if things don’t work with Clowney, adding Ngakoue could be a perfect fall back plan.
A trade would likely look very similar to Seattle’s trade of Frank Clark last year, with the Seahawks giving up their first round pick and a second round pick in exchange for Ngakoue and Jacksonville’s second round pick.
Ngakoue, 24, already has 36 career sacks and 14 forced fumbles, making a Pro Bowl appearance back in 2017.
His presence along Seattle’s defensive front would be a huge upgrade – and whether or not he’s paired with Clowney he would help make this team considerably better at a key area of need as they look to stay relevant in an increasingly crowded NFC playoff picture.
