The Houston Texans are overhauling their defense with new defensive coordinator Lovie Smith, and they need to find edge rushers willing to put their hand in the dirt to stop the run on the way to the quarterback.
If the Texans are looking for a proven veteran to play the edge in their new Tampa-2 defense, which features a 4-3 front, Yannick Ngakoue has to come at the top of their list.
According to Seth Galina of Pro Football Focus, Ngakoue would be a good fit for the Seattle Seahawks, who had trouble getting to the quarterback in 2020. Their leading sacker in 2020 was Jamal Adams, a safety, with 9.5 on the season. Defensive tackle Jarran Reed provided 6.5, defensive end Benson Mayowa had 6.0, and free agent Carlos Dunlap, who was a midseason trade, gave them 5.0.
With the departure of J.J. Watt, the Texans don’t have anyone on the roster who can provide a decent pass rush at defensive end. Ngakoue would be able to do that. PFF says he was 23rd in their system with a pass rush grade of 72.8, and had a third down pressure rate of 14.1%, 27th-best, over the past three years.
Although the Minnesota Vikings acquired Ngakoue ahead of the 2020 season, he finished with the Baltimore Ravens. Between the two teams, playing 15 games, he collected 8.0 sacks with seven tackles for loss and four forced fumbles.
If there is a problem with Ngakoue, it is that he can be mercurial and air his grievances out in the public arena. That would be a bad combination with the Texans, who, since April of 2019, have been giving their players reasons to be aggrieved.
However, Houston has also proven that players who can turn it around with them on one-year deals can cash in the next free agency. Safety Tyrann Mathieu was a good example of that in 2018, and cornerback Bradley Roby was another example in 2019.
The Texans and Ngakoue both need help, and each could repair their images by giving each other the best they have to offer.