What will Yannick Ngakoue add to the Minnesota Vikings?
In two weeks, the Minnesota Vikings will hit the field for the opening matchup of the 2020 NFL season against the rival Green Bay Packers. Thanks to a trade made by the team on Sunday, the Vikings will now have the help of defensive end Yannick Ngakoue to chase down Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
Minnesota reportedly acquired Ngakoue from the Jacksonville Jaguars in exchange for a 2021 second-round draft pick and a 2022 conditional fifth-round draft selection according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
This is a massive deal made by the Vikings who will now have a lethal pass-rushing duo that features Ngakoue on the right side and Danielle Hunter on the left. Opposing offensive tackles are not going to enjoy going up against Minnesota this season.
The last time the Vikings made a big-time trade for a defensive end was back in 2008 when they acquired Jared Allen from the Kansas City Chiefs. That deal ended up working out pretty well for Minnesota. Will the same be true for the trade the Vikings made on Sunday?
Since he spent that last four seasons with the Jaguars, a number of Minnesota fans might not be familiar with Ngakoue and what he is going to add to the team’s defensive line. So what can the Vikings expect from their new pass rusher in 2020?
The Good
Elite pass-rushing skills
Yannick Ngakoue is only 25-years-old, but he’s been in the NFL since 2016. During his first four seasons in the league, Ngakoue has developed into a premier pass rusher.
Since 2016, he’s racked up 37.5 sacks and 85 quarterback hits. With the help of Minnesota’s coaching staff, his potential to perform at an even higher level is through the roof.
Essentially, the Vikings are getting someone in Ngakoue who shouldn’t have any trouble replacing Everson Griffen on the right side of the team’s defensive line.
Creation of a dynamic duo
Following Sunday’s trade, Minnesota will now have two of the best pass rushers in the NFL suiting up for them this season in Ngakoue and Danielle Hunter.
Prior to the deal, most expected Hunter to draw more attention from opposing offensive lines in 2020 due to Griffen no longer being with the Vikings. But with their newest addition, Hunter should get plenty of one-on-one opportunities to make life miserable for opposing quarterbacks.
Decrease in pressure on young secondary
Despite the optimistic reviews coming out of this year’s training camp, Minnesota’s young group of cornerbacks is still a concern for some heading into the upcoming season. The arrival of Ngakoue should help eliminate some of those worries.
The Vikings pass rush just experienced a tremendous upgrade that should result in opposing quarterbacks having less time to scan the field for an open receiver. With less time spent in coverage, mistakes from Minnesota’s young secondary shouldn’t be too frequent in 2020.
The Bad
Decrease in production last season
After putting an impressive amount of pressure on opposing quarterbacks in 2018, Yannick Ngakoue saw some of his pass-rushing production trend in the wrong direction last season.
In 2019, Ngakoue experienced a decrease in sacks (9.5 to 8.0), quarterback hits (33 to 15), and pressures (51 to 27) compared to the numbers he put up during the 2018 season.
Could potentially leave in 2021
Ideally, the Vikings would like to sign their new defensive end to a multi-year contract to keep him on the roster for longer than just one season. But there’s a chance that won’t happen.
Since Ngakoue had the franchise tag placed on him by the Jaguars this offseason, Minnesota cannot add any years onto his current contract. So the Vikings will have to wait until 2021 to complete any sort of long-term deal with the talented pass rusher.
New deal now unlikely for Cook
Minnesota running back Dalvin Cook has been hoping to land an extension from the team all year long. Recently, those contract talks were put on hold and the chances of Cook getting a new deal before hitting free agency in 2021 certainly went down.
With the arrival of Ngakoue, any cap space the Vikings had this year is expected to virtually disappear. Since Minnesota could potentially sign Cook to a new contract that doesn’t increase his 2020 cap, an extension this year can’t be completely ruled out. But the likelihood of it happening certainly took a hit on Sunday following the Vikings’ decision to trade for Ngakoue.
What to expect from Ngakoue in 2020
During his tenure with the franchise, Vikings co-defensive coordinator Andre Patterson has become known for his ability to get the most out of his defensive linemen. So when Minnesota acquires someone like Yannick Ngakoue, they know that Patterson is going to bring out the best in him.
With the Vikings last season, Everson Griffen finished with eight sacks, 24 quarterbacks hits, and 35 pressures. Those are numbers that Ngakoue should be able to easily match and likely surpass this year.
With the big trade on Sunday, Minnesota is making it pretty clear that they’re trying to be a contender in 2020.
Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer and general manager Rick Spielman know their time is running out to deliver the franchise its first-ever Super Bowl win. So Spielman went out and made a move on Sunday that could potentially help Minnesota reach their ultimate goal.
Will the trade for Ngakoue turn out to be the missing piece that the Vikings needed to win a championship?