Yannick Ngakoue – DE
The Vikings made a big splash by recently acquiring defensive end Yannick Ngakoue from the Jacksonville Jaguars. This gives their postseason ambitions a considerable boost if the pass-rushing specialist lives up to his expectations.
Pairing Ngakoue with stud Pro Bowl defensive end Danielle Hunter has endless potential. They are going to be a tandem that is feared across the league and it could be the springboard for even better production from Minnesota’s defense going forward.
However, this is something that Vikings fans won’t see until Week 4, at the earliest. Hunter ended speculation over his health by going on the injured reserve list on Wednesday, which only increases the pressure on Ngakoue to deliver the goods right away.
Minnesota does have a more than capable replacement in Ifeadi Odenigbo. But losing their Pro Bowl pass-rusher is a significant blow.
There is a lot to like about the physical attributes that Ngakoue brings to the table. His time in the NFL has been littered with memorable highlights so far and there could be even more to come with a higher class of players around him.
Coming to a franchise like the Vikings brings its own set of pressure. Ngakoue hasn’t been part of a contending team since 2017 and although he did perform well with these sorts of expectations on his shoulders. it is a big culture shift to that which the player experienced over his last two seasons in Jacksonville.
Ngakoue will need to start well and there is every chance he can do so. Mike Zimmer is known for getting the most out of his defensive players and one only has to look at Hunter’s development with Minnesota to see what can be achieved with their new acquisition.