Skip to main content

Not a lot has gone right for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2019. After a 20-16 victory over the Oakland Raiders on Sunday, Jacksonville climbed to only 5-9 and are facing a second-consecutive losing season. But there have been a few examples of positives. 

One of the greatest examples of positives in an otherwise negative season has been fourth-year defense end Yannick Ngakoue. Ngakoue had been steadily solid throughout the first 14 weeks of 2019 despite dealing with a hamstring injury for the first six weeks of the season, but he saved his best for Sunday in Oakland. 

Against the Raiders, Ngakoue totaled two sacks, four tackles for loss, two quarterback hits and a pass deflection. He was a dominant force against both the run and the pass and was only inches away from making several other plays. He flew around the field, pestering Raiders quarterback Derek Carr and giving left tackle Kolton Miller problems all game long.

In a contract year, Ngakoue has only gotten better as the season has progressed. He has eight sacks, three forced fumbles, 11 tackles for loss and one interception returned for a touchdown this season. After holding out for a payday this past training camp, Ngakoue bet on himself to produce in 2019. So far, he has done so. 

Ngakoue turned down a Jaguars' extension offer an unspecified amount during his holdout, indicating he did not get an offer he felt matched his value. If his play against the Raiders was any indication, then his value is likely about as high as he thought it was this past fall. 

Since joining Jacksonville as a third-round draft pick in 2016, Ngakoue has done nothing but produce. He now has 37.5 career sacks, already second-most in franchise history. He has also shown big improvement as a run defender, becoming one of Jacksonville's best backfield penetration players vs. the run in 2019.

Just three weeks ago, Jaguars executive vice president of football operations Tom Coughlin fielded questions for the first time this season and the first time since Ngakoue held out in the fall. When asked by JaguarMaven during the press conference if the team had Ngakoue in its long-term plans, his answer was brash and automatic. 

"We have five games to play and everyone has a lot to prove.”

Maybe not everyone. After one of the best performances of his career helped snap the Jaguars' historically bad five-game losing streak, Ngakoue has little left to prove to Coughlin, the NFL, or anyone else.