The New York Giants desperately need to prioritize defense this offseason and one option they should go hard for on the market is Jacksonville Jaguars edge rusher Yannick Ngakoue.
In the past few weeks, it has been rumored that the Jaguars do not plan on letting Ngakoue hit free agency. Their two options would be to either extend him long-term or place the franchise tag on him, but the choice is up to Ngakoue whether or not he wishes to explore what else is out there.
Ngakoue was recently seen flirting with the idea of becoming a Giant in the comments section of his Instagram page when Minnesota Vikings receiver Stefon Diggs commented “NYG.” In response to Digg’s comment, Ngakoue replied with the double eye-ball emoji as in to, “look out,” or “keep watch.”
The Giants found themselves in a similar situation back in 2016 when they stole pass rusher Olivier Vernon away from the Miami Dolphins. The Dolphins placed the transition tag on Vernon, who made it clear he did not want to play under these terms as he was seeking a long term deal. This left the door open for the Giants to swoop in and offer the edge rusher a five-year, $85 million contract.
Unfortunately, the Giants only got a season’s worth of their money as Vernon’s health began to break down by year two.
Luckily, Ngakoue is soon to be 25 years old and has played in 62 of 63 games since coming into the league in 2016. The pass rusher has also been the epitome of consistency when it comes to rushing the passer compiling a total of 37.5 sacks in four-seasons.
While Ngakoue has been knocked for his run defense at times, he has shown the ability to make plays in the running game — both from out of a three-point stance or standing up near the line of scrimmage.
This is the type of versatility that Giants new defensive coordinator Patrick Graham is looking for given he’s expressed that his unit will not have a specific identity.
Ngakoue has also drawn comparisons to Giants pass rushing great Osi Umenyiora, who racked up 85 career sacks and helped the team capture their last two Super Bowl titles.
Of course there have been rumors that defensive end Leonard Williams, who the Giants traded third- and fifth-round picks for at last year’s trade deadline, is seeking $15 million per season. Ngakoue would be the more expensive but safer route to go over Williams, who finished with 0.5 sacks last year.
The Giants are projected to have upwards of $60 million in cap space this off-season and if they wish to upgrade their defense, Ngakoue would be a home-run signing for a unit that has ranked in the bottom of the league for the past three straight seasons.
Although the Jaguars said they do not wish to let Ngakoue hit the open market, they also are expected to have minimal wiggle room in their cap situation and would have to dump expensive veteran contracts including defensive tackle Calais Campbell and quarterback Nick Foles, whom they signed to a long-term deal just a year ago.
With the emergence of rookie quarterback Gardner Minishew, it is possible that the Jaguars move on from Foles. They also could let go of the aging Campbell as well, but at the same time, the Giants have the more ideal financial situation and could certainly outbid the Jags if they choose to.
Last offseason, the Dallas Cowboys made defensive end Demarcus Lawrence the highest-paid at his position signing him to a five-year, $105 million extension with $65 million guaranteed. Ngakoue is expected to break Lawrence’s record deal exceeding his $21 million per year and the Giants can certainly afford him if he is available this March.
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