.jpg) Ngakoue with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2021 | |||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||
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| Born: | (1995-03-31)March 31, 1995 (age 29) Washington, D.C., U.S. | ||||||||||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||||||||||
| Weight: | 246 lb (112 kg) | ||||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||||
| High school: | Friendship Collegiate Academy (Washington, D.C.) | ||||||||||||||||
| College: | Maryland (2013–2015) | ||||||||||||||||
| Position: | Linebacker | ||||||||||||||||
| NFL draft: | 2016: 3rd round, 69th pick | ||||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics as of Week 17, 2024 | |||||||||||||||||
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Yannick Ngakoue (/jɑːˈniːknˈɡɑːkweɪ/yah-NEEK n-GAH-kway;[1] born March 31, 1995) is an American professionalfootballlinebacker who last played for theNew England Patriots of theNational Football League (NFL). He playedcollege football for theMaryland Terrapins and was selected by theJacksonville Jaguars in the third round of the2016 NFL draft. He spent two stints with theBaltimore Ravens and has also played one season each for theMinnesota Vikings,Las Vegas Raiders,Indianapolis Colts, andChicago Bears.
Ngakoue was born inWashington, D.C. to a Cameroonian father and Martiniquais mother.[2][3] He attendedFriendship Collegiate Academy Public Charter School inWashington, D.C., where he was teammates withEddie Goldman. As a senior, he was theGatorade Football Player of the Year for Washington D.C. after recording 17sacks.[4] Ngakoue was rated byRivals.com as a four-star recruit and was ranked as the fourth bestoutside linebacker in his class.[5] He committed to theUniversity of Maryland, College Park to playcollege football.[6]
As atrue freshman at Maryland in 2013, Ngakoue played in all 13 games and had ninetackles, two sacks and aninterception. As a sophomore in 2014, he started all 12 games and recorded 37 tackles and six sacks.[7][8] As a junior in 2015, Ngakoue set a school record with 13.5 sacks.[9] After the season, he announced that he would forgo his senior season and enter the2016 NFL draft.[10]
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 252 lb (114 kg) | 32+1⁄2 in (0.83 m) | 9+1⁄2 in (0.24 m) | 4.75 s | 1.64 s | 2.77 s | 4.50 s | 7.35 s | 34+1⁄2 in (0.88 m) | 9 ft 10 in (3.00 m) | 26 reps | |
| All values fromNFL Combine[11] | ||||||||||||
TheJacksonville Jaguars selected Ngakoue in the third round (69th overall) in the 2016 NFL Draft.[12] He was the seventhdefensive end selected.[13] On June 22, 2016, the Jaguars signed Ngakoue to a four-year, $3.48 million contract that included asigning bonus of $856,176.[14] Throughouttraining camp, he competed for the starting defensive end position againstDante Fowler,Chris Smith, andJared Odrick. Head coachGus Bradley named him the backup defensive end behind starters Fowler and Odrick to begin his rookie season.[15]
Ngakoue made his NFL debut in the Jaguars' season-opener against theGreen Bay Packers and made two combined tackles during their 27–23 loss. The following week, he earned his first NFL start, as the Jaguars opted to start him at right defensive end over Dante Fowler, and recorded three combined tackles, forced the first fumble of his career, and made his first NFL sack onPhilip Rivers in the Jaguars' 38–14 loss at theSan Diego Chargers. His first NFL forced fumble came in the second quarter, as he had a strip sack on Rivers. The ball was recovered by Jaguars' safetyJohnathan Cyprien.[16][17] On October 2, Ngakoue made a season-high four solo tackles and recorded his first NFL interception on quarterbackAndrew Luck after the pass was deflected by defensive end Dante Fowler during a 30–27 victory over theIndianapolis Colts. In the season finale on January 1, 2017, he collected two solo tackles and made his eighth career sack on Luck in a 24–20 loss to the Colts.
Ngakoue finished his rookie year with 22 combined tackles (19 solo), eight sacks, two pass deflections, an interception, and a forced fumble in 16 games and 15 starts.[18] His eight sacks broke a Jaguars rookie record, previously held byTony Brackens, but Ngakoue's record was broken byJosh Allen three years later in 2019.[19] Following his rookie season, Ngakoue was named to thePFWA All-Rookie Team.[20] The Jaguars finished the2016 season 3-13 and head coach Gus Bradley was fired after Week 15 and offensive line coachDoug Marrone served as the interim head coach for Weeks 16–17.
Ngakoue entered training camp competing to maintain his starting defensive end role against newly acquired free agentCalais Campbell and Dante Fowler. Marrone opted to maintain the Gus Bradley's staff and keep defensive coordinatorTodd Wash and his base4–3 defense. Ngakoue was named the starting left defensive end, opposite Calais Campbell, to start the2017 season.[21]
Ngakoue started in the season-opener against theHouston Texans and recorded four combined tackles, two sacks, two forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery during a 29–7 road victory. His first forced fumble came in the second quarter and was on quarterbackTom Savage and was recovered by teammateAbry Jones, which set the Jaguars up for a touchdown scoring drive. Toward the end of the second quarter, he had another strip-sack on Savage that was recovered and returned by Dante Fowler Jr. for a 53-yard touchdown. Toward the end of the third quarter, he recovered a fumble by quarterbackDeshaun Watson that was caused by Fowler.[22] During Week 7, Ngakoue made four combined tackles and a season-high 2.5 sacks during the Jaguars' 27–0 road routing of the Colts. During a Week 11 matchup at theCleveland Browns, he made three combined tackles and 2.5 sacks in a 23–7 victory. During Week 16 againstSan Francisco 49ers, Ngakoue collected two solo tackles and made his 12th sack of the season on quarterbackJimmy Garoppolo in the 44–33 road loss. In the next game against theTennessee Titans, he scored his first NFL touchdown on a 67-yard fumble recovery as the Jaguars lost on the road by a score of 15–10.
Ngakoue finished the season with 30 combined tackles (24 solo) and 12 sacks in 16 games and starts as the Jaguars finished atop theAFC South with a 10–6 record. The Jaguars' defensive line became dominant throughout the season with the key additions of Calais Campbell (during free agency) andMarcell Dareus (a midseason trade acquisition). They adopted the nickname "Sacksonville" throughout the season.[23] His 12 sacks tied for eighth in the league and was second on the team behind Campbell's 14.5 sacks.[24] He also had a league-leading six forced fumbles.
In the playoffs, Ngakoue recorded four tackles, a pass deflection, and a sack before the Jaguars lost to theNew England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game by a score of 24–20. On January 22, 2018, he was named to his first Pro Bowl as an injury replacement for teammate Campbell.[25] Ngakoue was ranked 88th by his peers on theNFL Top 100 Players of 2018.[26]
In week 4 against theNew York Jets, Ngakoue recorded his first sack of the season on rookie quarterbackSam Darnold during the 31–12 win.[27] In week 6 against theDallas Cowboys, Ngakoue sackedDak Prescott twice during the 40–7 loss.[28] In week 8 against thePhiladelphia Eagles in London, Ngakoue sackedCarson Wentz once during the 24–18 loss.[29] In week 17 against the Texans, Ngakoue recorded a season high 5 tackles and sacked Deshaun Watson 1.5 times during the 20–3 loss.[30]
Ngakoue finished the season with 9.5 sacks, 28 total tackles, 33 quarterback hits, and a pass defended.[31] The Jaguars did not retain their overall success from the previous season, this time finishing with a 5–11 record.[32]
In week 5 against theCarolina Panthers, Ngakoue recorded his first two sacks of the season onKyle Allen during the 34–27 loss.[33] In week 7 against theCincinnati Bengals, Ngakoue intercepted a pass thrown byAndy Dalton and returned it 23 yards for a touchdown during the 27–17 win. This was Ngakoue's first career interception and touchdown in the NFL.[34] In the following week's game against the Jets, Ngakoue sacked Sam Darnold twice during the 29–15 win.[35] In week 11 against the Titans, Ngakoue recorded a strip sack onRyan Tannehill and recovered the football during the 42–20 loss.[36] In week 15 against theOakland Raiders, Ngakoue sackedDerek Carr twice during the 20–16 win.[37]
Ngakoue finished the season with 8 sacks, 41 total tackles, 15 quarterback hits, four forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, six passes defensed, and an interception returned for a touchdown.[38] The Jaguars slightly improved from the previous season, this time finishing with a 6–10 record.[39]
On March 2, 2020, Ngakoue went onTwitter to state that he wished to be traded and would not play for the Jaguars in the future.[40]
Despite Ngakoue's request, the Jaguars placed thefranchise tag on Ngakoue on March 13, 2020.[41] On April 20, 2020, Ngakoue got in a lengthy Twitter argument withTony Khan, the team owner's son, because the Jaguars would not trade him. During their argument, Ngakoue most notably told Khan "just trade me."[42]
On August 31, 2020, Ngakoue was traded to theMinnesota Vikings for a 2021 second-round selection (Walker Little was later selected) and a conditional fifth-round selection (that would have become a 4th round selection if Ngakoue made the2021 Pro Bowl or a third if the aforementioned condition was met and the Vikings wonSuper Bowl LV, but neither condition was met).[43]
In Week 2 against the Colts, Ngakoue recorded his first sack as a Viking onPhilip Rivers during the 28–11 loss.[44] In Week 4 against the Texans, Ngakoue sacked Deshaun Watson twice during the 31–23 win.[45]
On October 22, 2020, Ngakoue was traded to theBaltimore Ravens for a 2021 third-round pick and a 2022 conditional fifth-round pick (which would have become a fourth-round selection if Ngakoue was named first-ballot selection to the2021 Pro Bowl but it was not met).[46] The move reunited Ngakoue with former Jaguars teammate Calais Campbell. In Week 11 against the Titans, Ngakoue recorded his first sack as a Raven on Ryan Tannehill during the 30–24 overtime loss.[47]
In Week 15 against his former team the Jaguars, Ngakoue recorded two sacks on former teammateGardner Minshew, including a strip sack that was recovered by the Ravens, during the 40–14 win.[48]
On March 19, 2021, Ngakoue signed a two-year, $26 million contract with theLas Vegas Raiders.[49][50]
In Week 7, Ngakoue had four tackles, two sacks, and two passes defensed in a 33–22 win over the Philadelphia Eagles, earning AFC Defensive Player of the Week.[51]
Ngakoue led the Raiders in sacks in 2021, and had his first double-digit sack season since 2017.[52]
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On March 16, 2022, Ngakoue was traded to the Colts in exchange for cornerbackRock Ya-Sin after the Raiders signedChandler Jones.[53] He started 15 games in 2022, recording 29 tackles, a forced fumble, and a team-leading 9.5 sacks. He was placed oninjured reserve with a throat injury on December 31, 2022.[54]
On August 3, 2023, Ngakoue signed with theChicago Bears on a one-year, $10.5 million deal.[55] He started 13 games before suffering a broken ankle in Week 14, ending his season.[56]
On September 24, 2024, Ngakoue signed with the Baltimore Ravens practice squad.[57] He was elevated to the active roster for the Week 6 matchup against theWashington Commanders. He recorded a sack ofJayden Daniels in the 30–23 win.[58] He was signed to the active roster on October 15.[59] Ngakoue was waived on November 7.[60]
On November 8, 2024, Ngakoue was claimed off waivers by theNew England Patriots.[61] On December 31, 2024, Ngakoue was released.[62]
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Led the league | |
| Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | Games | Tackles | Interceptions | Fumbles | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Cmb | Solo | Ast | Sck | PD | Int | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | FF | FR | Yds | TD | ||
| 2016 | JAX | 16 | 15 | 23 | 20 | 3 | 8.0 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 9.0 | 9 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2017 | JAX | 16 | 16 | 30 | 24 | 6 | 12.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 67 | 1 |
| 2018 | JAX | 16 | 16 | 28 | 25 | 3 | 9.5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 | JAX | 15 | 15 | 41 | 36 | 5 | 8.0 | 6 | 1 | 23 | 23.0 | 23T | 1 | 4 | 1 | –2 | 0 |
| 2020 | MIN | 6 | 5 | 12 | 12 | 0 | 5.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| BAL | 9 | 3 | 11 | 11 | 0 | 3.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2021 | LV | 17 | 17 | 28 | 17 | 11 | 10.0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | IND | 15 | 15 | 29 | 18 | 11 | 9.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | CHI | 13 | 13 | 22 | 13 | 9 | 4.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | BAL | 5 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| NE | 6 | 0 | 9 | 4 | 5 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Career | 134 | 115 | 238 | 181 | 57 | 70.5 | 13 | 2 | 32 | 16.0 | 23T | 1 | 21 | 3 | 65 | 1 | |
| Year | Team | Games | Tackles | Interceptions | Fumbles | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Cmb | Solo | Ast | Sck | PD | Int | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | FF | FR | Yds | TD | ||
| 2017 | JAX | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 | BAL | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | LV | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 6 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 12 | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
