Raiders Season Review: Yannick Ngakoue

The Las Vegas Raiders knew heading into the 2021 offseason that they would need to upgrade their pass rush.

They thought they did that when they signed veteran defensive end Yannick Ngakoue in free agency, and he was able to provide a needed bookend presence to Maxx Crosby.

Ngakoue led the Raiders in sacks this season with 10, which was the first double-digit sack season he had since 2017. He tied for having the second-most QB hits in his career with 23, the first time he's had more than 20 since 2018.

It was also the first season since 2018 where Ngakoue had double-digit numbers in both hurries and knockdowns.

Combined with 36 other recorded QB pressures, it was the most productive season Ngakoue has had as a pass rusher for multiple seasons.

If there is admittedly at least one flaw in his performance this season, it's that he didn't rank highly when it came to run defense.

Ngakoue has never had the reputation as a strong run-stopper, and he didn't this past season, ranking among the lowest in the NFL according to Pro Football Focus.

His skills as a pass rusher proved invaluable for the Raiders this season, though, especially after coming on a contract that averages only $13-million a year.

Ngakoue probably will remain in Vegas for this next year, and for whatever new defensive coordinator that ends up coming in, he'll know that he'll be able to start with some juice upfront in the form of the Raiders pass rush.

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