7 most important things to know about Yannick Ngakoue
By Dustin Baker
5. Comparable Player from History = Leonard Little
From a sacks and tackles standpoint, the closest comparable player in relatively recent NFL history is former St. Louis Rams pass-rusher, Leonard Little. Playing 12 seasons for the Rams (his only team), Little totaled 87.5 sacks and was even awarded All-Pro honors at the peak of his powers in 2003. What’s more, Little earned a Super Bowl ring with Rams during the team’s 1999 storybook season.
Little is akin to Ngakoue in that he was a formidable pass-rusher and, to a lesser degree, admirable defender against the run. Ngakoue has played 63 games thus far in his young career. He has amassed 37.5 sacks, 122 combined tackles, and 14 forced fumbles. Leonard Little, through 63 games, notched 43 sacks,148 tackles, and 17 forced fumbles.
Sacks indeed began accrual in 1982, but generally speaking, one would find it difficult to find a closer statistical bedfellow to Ngakoue as Leonard Little.