Jacksonville Jaguars: Yannick Ngakoue becoming an elite pass rusher

The Jacksonville Jaguars selected Yannick Ngakoue in the third round of the 2016 NFL draft. He is quickly becoming an elite pass rusher.

The first three rounds of the 2016 NFL Draft have given the Jacksonville Jaguars three very good starters. All three players are making significant contributions to the ferocious Jaguars defense. Yannick Ngakoue is quietly becoming an elite pass rusher due to his relentless pressure on opposing quarterbacks.

In 2016, Jalen Ramsey was the first pick in the draft. Ramsey is definitely becoming the franchise shutdown corner. Myles Jack, picked in the second round, is more than able to cover running backs on passing downs.

Ngakoue declared for the 2016 NFL Draft after playing three seasons at Maryland. Jacksonville selected him in the third round. He split time with Dante Fowler early in the season. Ngakoue recorded eight sacks and had a pick-six. He forced four fumbles and finished 2016 with 23 tackles.

So far, Ngakoue has nine sacks through 10 games this season. He has surpassed his 2016 sack totals. He is second on the Jaguars and sixth in the NFL in sacks. Against Cleveland, Ngakoue forced two fumbles including the strip which was recovered in the end zone to seal the win. He currently has forced three fumbles. He had 2.5 sacks to go along with three tackles. Pro Football Focus graded Ngakoue higher than Ramsey.

Ngakoue is very quick off the snap which gives him a huge edge. Per NFL.com, his notes coming after the combine says:

"Flexible and athletic with a chiseled frame. Produced 45 quarterback pressures and 13 sacks this season. Plays with plus motor. Slippery with ability to find his way into a play even though he’s being blocked. Impressive lateral quickness to escape reach blocks and create perimeter contain against the run. Stays low, creeping around the corner before exploding up to the quarterback on twists. Plays with some hip flip around the corner as a pass rusher. Suddenness to unlock a more dangerous inside move."

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In only his second season, Ngakoue is rapidly putting up big numbers for the Jaguars defense. The ceiling for him is very high due to his athleticism. Lets hope he is rewarded with postseason awards following this very good campaign.