Jets: 3 free agents who could alter 2021 NFL Draft plans
3. Yannick Ngakoue, EDGE, Baltimore Ravens
The 2021 edge rusher free agent class is a tricky one. Most of the top names at the position are older. Whether it be Matt Judon, Melvin Ingram, or Justin Houston; a good portion of the market is filled with players who will likely be chasing success with more established franchises. The youngest available option is Yannick Ngakoue, who also has ties to the coaching staff.
Jets head coach Robert Saleh spent some time in Jacksonville, including 2016 – Ngakoue’s rookie year. That was when Gus Bradley was the head coach. Saleh had overlap with Bradley at two different spots (Seattle and Jacksonville) and they ran similar defensive schemes when running their own defenses. Ngakoue would have familiarity with the scheme and the head coach, making this a home run fit.
The ceiling of Ngakoue is one of the best pass rushers in the NFL. In terms of sacks, he has not hit double digits since his pro bowl season in 2017. He was also traded twice during the 2020 season. However, he still consistently gets pressure on the quarterback and may be a “buy low” option if teams are weary of signing him given the lower salary cap and a robust edge rusher market if Shaquille Barrett hits the market and Von Miller’s club option is not picked up.
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Signing Ngakoue would allow the Jets to use their first few picks on an offense that needs a drastic makeover. If Ngakoue is on the roster, the Jets would have a nice group of young interior defensive linemen to play next to him. New York needs a young quarterback and some pieces to build around him. Using their large amount of cap space on defense may be an interesting route.