Should the New York Jets Go After Yannick Ngakoue? Yes, Says One Former NFL GM
The New York Jets need a defensive end, one who can help generate some semblance of a pass rush. Yannick Ngakoue, according to former general manager Jeff Diamond, could be an ideal fit.
Reports midweek said that the Jets were among the teams looking to get in on Ngakoue, whom the Jacksonville Jaguars are looking to unload. The reported price of a second round pick seems to be ideal in that the Jets have a total of seven picks in the opening four rounds of the 2021 NFL Draft.
They could, theoretically, move a second round pick for an elite edge rusher and still have enough draft capital to make upgrades to their team. The price tag, however, is what makes Diamond want to negotiate a bit.
“While I was reluctant to inherit another team’s contract problem in my GM days, Ngakoue is the right age at 25 and has proven production with four years of eight plus sacks and can play the run too but he has only one double digit sack year so I wouldn’t break the bank salary-wise and draft pick-wise for him,” Diamond tells Sports Illustrated’s Jets Country.
“I would trade a third rounder that can be upgraded to a second rounder if he plays 80 percent or more of the defensive snaps and has 10 or more sacks but only make the trade if he agrees to report and will sign a reasonable new contract with a strong incentive package.”
Diamond is the former general manager of the Minnesota Vikings and president of the Tennessee Titans.
Pass rush is an issue for this team. The Jets were No. 23 in the league with just 2.2 sacks per game in 2020, down from 2.4 sacks the year before.
Part of the concern for the Jets with the regular season just three weeks away is where will the pressure come from? Safety Jamal Adams, second on the Jets with 6.5 sacks, was traded away a month ago. In his place, no adequate pass rusher has been brought in either via free agency or the NFl Draft.
The fact that Adams, a safety, was second on the team in sacks is a telling stat. The Jets need pass rush help and Ngakoue certainly fits that description.
In 63 games played (62 starts), Ngakoue has 37.5 career sacks. He has never had fewer than eight sacks in a single season.
Last year, he had eight sacks and 15 quarterback hits. Both numbers would have led the Jets in 2019.
The presence of an elite pass rusher like Ngakoue, who made the Pro Bowl in 2017, would have a trickle down effect on the Jets defense. It would immediately help nose tackle Quinnen Williams, who is looking to take the next step after a rookie season where he had some significant struggles at times.
