The Raiders made two big free-agent signings this offseason. One was bringing in Casey Hayward Jr., who just so happens to be Pro Football Focus’ highest-rated cornerback after seven weeks. The other? Yannick Ngakoue.
In seven games, he’s already totaled four sacks to go along with 10 quarterback hits. Considering he tallied only 11 quarterback hits in all of 2020, it’s fair to say that he’s off to a great start.
Ngakoue had another strong performance on Sunday, totaling two sacks and two tackles for a loss as he spent the day chasing Jalen Hurts all over the field. He also finished the game with eight pressures, which was twice as many as any other player on the team.
For that reason, he is the “Peak Performer” of Week 7 for the Raiders.
The combination of Maxx Crosby and Ngakoue has been one of the biggest reasons for their defensive improvement this season. Together, the duo plays with a ton of effort and have combined for 29 quarterback hits this season.
Usually, teams don’t get their money’s worth when they pay top-dollar for free agents. However, that isn’t the case when it comes to Ngakoue. He is playing some of the best football of his career as he has helped the Raiders improve to 5-2, which is tied for the best record in the AFC.
Ngakoue has been everything the Raiders had hoped for and more so far this season.
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