Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Yannick Ngakoue is a player who has been a key part of the team’s defense as he’s quietly established himself as one of the league’s best players under the age of 25. In just three seasons he’s managed to accumulate 29.5 sacks, but it’s been his last two seasons which have stood out.
The good people at Pro Football Focus definitely have taken notice of his performance as of late and have given the young edge rusher solid grades all throughout 2017-18. In combining both seasons, he’s also managed to accumulate a two-year pass rush grade of 90.2, which is good for eighth in the league.
Clearly, based off PFF’s analysis, there aren’t many who can get to the quarterback like Ngakoue despite the concerns about him against the run. Based off of his work ethic and progress, one would think he’ll only get better in time, which is another reason the Jags should view him as a building block for the present and future.
At the moment, Ngakoue isn’t attending the mandatory part of camp due to his contract situation. After watching both DeMarcus Lawrence and Frank Clark receive new deals guaranteeing over $62 million this offseason, Ngakoue has wisely decided to make the Jags speed up the process for a new deal, but time will tell what happens. Regardless of how fans slice it, it’s clear that he deserves a similar extension based on his performance since 2016 — and if the Jags value putting the quarterback on the ground they need to figure out how to pay him sooner than later.
