Philadelphia Eagles offseason watch: Clowney versus Ngakoue

Here’s a closer look at Ngakoue.

It’s hard to believe this now, but once upon a time, Yannick Ngakoue was a third-round selection in 2016’s NFL Draft. Stating that he got off the blocks quickly would be a huge understatement. Following that season, he was named to the Pro Football Writers of America’s All-Rookie Team.

In 2017, he took the next step as part of that ‘Sacksonville’ squad that terrorized every offense they faced and led the Jags to within a few plays of meeting the ‘Birds’ in Super Bowl 52. Ngakoue earned a Pro Bowl nod for his efforts, but that’s where things get cloudy.

Following the 2017-2018 season, unless you’re one of those guys and gals who are just engrossed in the comings and goings of all things NFL, no one would blame you if you lost track of what Ngakoue has been doing. By now, you know how things work.

Winning teams are like the popular kids in school. They get more television time. They send more players to the Pro Bowl. Fans buy more jerseys. Since that 2017-2018 season, there hasn’t been a ton of noise out of Duval County, and for that reason, this is a guy that hasn’t gotten the pub he deserves, but trust and believe he deserves plenty.

Since entering the league, he’s racked up 126 tackles, 38.5 sacks, ten pass breakups, and 15 forced fumbles. He’s also durable. He’s missed a grand total of one game in his pro career. Put a big red checkmark next to Ngakoue’s name.