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Yannick Ngakoue could attract Arizona Cardinals attention

By Jim Koch

JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA - DECEMBER 01: Yannick Ngakoue #91 of the Jacksonville Jaguars tackles Jameis Winston #3 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the second quarter of a game at TIAA Bank Field on December 01, 2019 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)
JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA - DECEMBER 01: Yannick Ngakoue #91 of the Jacksonville Jaguars tackles Jameis Winston #3 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the second quarter of a game at TIAA Bank Field on December 01, 2019 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images) /
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The Arizona Cardinals front office could attempt to sign the talented edge-rusher to a free agent contract this offseason

Roughly a year ago, the Arizona Cardinals signed an aging free agent to help them with their pass rush. Unfortunately for the squad, the Terrell Suggs experiment lasted for a grand total of just 13 games in 2019. Perhaps this time around, Arizona’s front office can find someone a bit younger to line up opposite Chandler Jones at the outside linebacker post.

Yannick Ngakoue, a third-round selection of the Jacksonville Jaguars back in 2016, would fill that role quite nicely for the Cardinals. At just 24 years of age, the talented edge-rusher is a full 13 years younger than the now-departed Suggs. Could Ngakoue be a target of general manager Steve Keim when the signing period gets underway in March?

The 69th-overall pick of the ’16 draft certainly has the credentials to be an impactful component for the Cards 32nd-ranked defense. In 63 professional appearances (62 starts) with the Jaguars, Ngakoue racked up 122 tackles, 37.5 sacks, 14 forced fumbles and an eye-popping 85 quarterback hits. The 6’2, 246 pounder has been an iron man as well, having missed just one contest during his four-year NFL career.

Ngakoue’s best campaign was back in 2017, when he tallied 12 sacks, 30 tackles and six forced fumbles in 16 starts. The University of Maryland product’s impressive performance that season earned him an invitation to the league’s annual Pro Bowl. The year before, Ngakoue was named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team after registering 23 tackles, eight sacks and four forced fumbles as a 21-year old with Jacksonville.

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Jones and Ngakoue would make one heck of a pass-rushing combination for coordinator Vance Joseph‘s beleaguered defensive unit. In fact, the pair could possibly even top the 23.5 sacks that Jones and former Arizona defender Markus Golden combined for as a duo back in ’16. It would be a wise move by the organization to have Keim inquire about Ngakoue as soon as the league year kicks off in March.

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