The New England Patriots beat out the Cincinnati Bengals for pass rusher Yannick Ngakoue, per ESPN’s Field Yates.
The Patriots had priority on the waiver wire, and now, the former Pro Bowl defensive end is headed to New England.
Ngakoue has tallied 70.5 sacks in 10 NFL seasons. He started his career as a third-round pick in the 2016 NFL draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars. He has since bounced around on multiple teams with his most recent stop being with the Baltimore Ravens.
The Patriots need all of the help they can get on the defensive line. They had a big day against the Chicago Bears on Sunday, but there are better offenses with more formidable offensive lines coming up on the schedule.
The Patriots were joined by one other team in attempting to claim Yannick Ngakoue: the Bengals.
New England had priority over Cincinnati, otherwise Ngakoue – who was waived just priority to the Ravens defeating the Bengals – would have stayed in the AFC North.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) November 9, 2024
At the very least, Ngakoue gives the Patriots another experienced playmaker up front. This could end up being a low-risk, high-reward pickup for a team that still needs a spark defensively.
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