2016 NFL Draft: Jacksonville Jaguars select Yannick Ngakoue
By Luke Sims
The Jacksonville Jaguars selected defensive end Yannick Ngakoue in the third round of the 2016 NFL Draft, immediately bolstering their defensive line with someone who can be a stud.
Maurice Jones-Drew came out to make the third round selection for the Jacksonville Jaguars, bringing the 69th pick to the team. Yannick Ngakoue was the selection, bringing a possible stud to the team at defensive end.
Ngakoue is a solid defensive end with room to grow into a solid starter and possible stud at the position. He played at Maryland over three seasons with the last two totaling 28 tackles for a loss and 19 sacks.
Those are the kind of numbers that the Jaguars were hoping for in a third round defensive end. After passing on the edge rusher position in free agency and the first two rounds of the 2016 NFL Draft (who could blame them with Myles Jack and Jalen Ramsey), it made sense to get a productive pass rusher with room to grow as well.
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Ngakoue was one of the more underrated players at the defensive end or 3-4 outside linebacker position. He had the production in college to be worth taking and he’s expected to blossom, but he he isn’t as proven as many of his peers which is why he came to the Jags in the third round.
Pro Football Focus had him 13th in their pass rush grades and efficiency
, which is decent for his rather crowded class.
The really intriguing aspect of the pick is how he will pair with Dante Fowler Jr. and how he will impact the opposing team’s offense. Can he be a monster that wrecks what the offense wants to do? Can he be more than just a specialist at getting after the quarterback? How well will he play against the run?
Ngakoue is a gifted athlete and he’s expected to perform well, but it will be interesting to see how he shakes out in the overall Jags scheme. The team obviously liked him. He’s athletic and able to work to become a much better defensive end for the team.