Yannick Ngakoue Free Agent Fits: Bears, Falcons, Cardinals

Most of the time, sacks get you paid in free agency. Yannick Ngakoue is one of the most accomplished sack artists available, with 65 in seven seasons so far, but he’s also a bit of an outlier, as he could be playing for his sixth team in 2023.

At this point, the NFL has him pegged as a bit of a one-trick pony. It’s a heck of a trick, though. 

Ngakoue, 27, is a former third-round pick of the Jaguars back in 2016. He played out the final year of his four-year, $3.48 million contract before the Jaguars used the franchise tag on him.

However, Ngakoue refused to play for the Jaguars in a contract dispute and they later traded him to the Vikings. He lasted just a few months in Minnesota before he was traded to the Ravens. 

Ngakoue signed a two-year, $26 million deal with the Raiders and made a base salary of $5 million in 2022 after being traded to the Colts last March in exchange for CB Rock Ya-Sin.

In 2022, Ngakoue appeared in 13 games for the Colts and recorded 29 total tackles and 9.5 sacks.

We have him included in our Top 100 Available 2023 NFL Free Agents list.

Chicago Bears

Despite their big spending spree, the Bears have both a massive need remaining at edge rusher and tens of millions of dollars still to spend. In fact, the Bears actually need to spend over $40 million in cash (not cap space) before the start of the 2024 league year to reach the NFL’s minimum spending threshold.

They should be able to hit that no problem with some extensions and in-season moves, but the point is, they can pay eight figures if that’s what it takes to bring in Ngakoue. He’d be a big upgrade over current projected starters Trevis Gipson and Dominique Robinson. 

Atlanta Falcons

The Falcons are another team with a need at edge rusher and some cap space to spend, still. They’re fourth in the league in effective cap space, per Over The Cap, and have not yet made a meaningful addition to their edge rushing group despite being last by far in the league in sacks over the past few seasons. 

Arizona Cardinals

Arizona is another team worth keeping in mind. They’re entering a clear rebuilding year, so it’s not worth it to chase Ngakoue as a piece to put them over the top or anything. However, their depth chart at edge rusher is wide open, and new DC Jonathan Gannon‘s scheme places a premium on getting pressure with four. They can afford to bring Ngakoue in on a one-year flier, and if/when they trade WR DeAndre Hopkins, they’ll have even more cap space.

If Ngakoue produces, the Cardinals then have options. They can let him walk and try to collect a compensatory pick. They could also try to keep him, as at just 28 years old once the season begins, he’s young enough to still have a few years of starter production ahead of him.