The Las Vegas Raiders failed to pressure opposing quarterbacks last season. They knew they had to inject life into a moribund pass rush this offseason. Thus, it wasn’t surprising to see them sign defensive end Yannick Ngakoue. The 2016 third-round pick recently talked about his goals and expectations with the Silver and Black.
Ngakoue recently joined SiriusXM to talk about what it means to him to play in Las Vegas. He says he likes the fact his old head coach, Gus Bradley, will be leading the defense. He believes they will deploy him in a way that maximizes his skill set. Later, he adds that, “You would have to be a fool not to want to play for the Raiders.”
Ngakoue was lured by “the tradition, and the history behind them, the Hall of Famers they have.” He aspires to be a Hall of Famer one day and goes on to mention that his impact will go beyond the football field. “I’m also here to make a change to this community in the Las Vegas area, and Henderson. All the communities in Nevada.” He wants to be great and “aspires to go down as one of the greats.
Ngakoue will give Raiders’ pass rush immediate boost
Ngakoue has posted more than 10 sacks in a season once in his five-year career. However, he has only logged fewer than 47 pressures in a season once, which was his rookie campaign. Furthermore, he has forced 18 fumbles, and his presence will prevent opposing offenses from double-teaming defensive end Maxx Crosby. When you take into account he agreed to a reasonable contract, his signing looks like one of the best that the Raiders have made in recent years.
The Raiders don’t have a good track record of making impact signings. However, adding Ngakoue was a no-brainer. The defensive end will have a chance to build his potential Hall of Fame resume while Las Vegas will bolster its defensive line.
More must-reads: