Get to know new Vikings DE Yannick Ngakoue

Mike Zimmer is known as the cornerback whisperer.

Since he became the Vikings’ head coach in 2014, we’ve watched as players like Xavier Rhodes and Trae Waynes and Mackensie Alexander slowly develop into Pro Bowl-level talents. He hopes Mike Hughes and Jeff Gladney are next.

But you know what helps make cornerbacks great besides Zimmer’s guidance? An elite pass rush that limits the time quarterbacks have to see the passing options in front of them.

The Vikings had a dynamic duo bookending the defensive line with Everson Griffen and youngster Danielle Hunter from 2015-19. But after the aging Griffen was cut early in the offseason, Minnesota looked for a new young star to replace him.

He has been found.

After a four-year stint with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Yannick Ngakoue is now a member of the Vikings.

Minnesota traded a 2021 second-round draft pick and a conditional 2022 fifth-round pick for Ngakoue on Aug. 30.  Upon arriving in Minnesota, the 25-year-old Ngakoue signed a one-year, $12 million deal, so he will be with the Vikings for at least this season.

Somewhere Mike Zimmer has a big, fat grin on his face.

So, what’s the skinny on Ngakoue?

BACKGROUND

Ngakoue was born on March 31, 1995 in Washington, D.C. He was labeled a four-star prospect and ranked as a top-five inside linebacker in the nation before committing to play college football with for the nearby Maryland Terrapins.

After recording eight sacks in his first two years at Maryland as an outside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme, he moved to defensive end in Keith Dudzinski’s 4-3 defense as a junior. That year, he shattered Maryland’s single-season program record with 13.5 sacks and added 37 tackles (14.5 for loss) and a forced fumble.

Ngakoue decided to forgo his senior campaign and instead entered the 2016 NFL draft.

JACKSONVILLE ERA

Viewed as a mid-round pick heading into the 2016 draft, Ngakoue was selected in the third round (No. 69 overall) by the Jaguars.

He made an impact right away.

Ngakoue’s quickness helped him get to the quarterback from day one, as he recorded eight sacks his rookie season to go along with six tackles for loss and 14 quarterback hits.

In 2017, Ngakoue played a big role in Jacksonville’s top-ranked defense, collecting 12 sacks, 23 quarterback hits, a league-high six forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. He basically paid rent in the backfield and made his first career Pro Bowl that season as the Jaguars made a surprising run to the AFC Championship game.

3 blocks couldn’t stop Yannick Ngakoue.

He played one of his best games as a Jaguar on Sunday. pic.twitter.com/wxhnVTHJbH

— #DUUUVAL (@Jaguars) December 21, 2019

Ngakoue finished with 9.5 sacks in 2018 and although his sacks dipped to eight in 2019, he still contributed on defense with four forced fumbles, six passes defensed and a career-high 41 tackles.

In all, Ngakoue played 63 of Jacksonville’s 64 regular-season games as well as three playoff contests in his tenure from 2016-19. He racked up 37.5 sacks and 85 quarterback hits, becoming just the fifth player since 2000 to reach those numbers over the first four years of his career. The others? Aaron Donald, Clay Matthews, Von Miller and J.J. Watt. That’s some good company.

BEEF WITH THE JAGS

Ngakoue outperformed his rookie contract by a large margin over the first three years in the NFL. Heading into 2019, he wanted a new deal. The Jaguars reportedly offered a short-term contract with a big increase in pay, but Ngakoue declined and then negotiations halted, which prompted the 25-year-old to hold out for 11 days during 2019 training camp. Following the 2019 season, the pass-rusher decided he was no longer interested in a long-term deal with Jacksonville and requested to be traded in March. When that demand didn’t produce immediate results, Ngakoue went to social media and argued back-and-forth with Jaguars co-owner Tony Khan on Twitter for the world to see.

Since your feeling might today let’s both let the world in on the truth. We been had a discussion that the chargers game was my last game. Yet you try to back door the situation without answering any of my camps calls. Smh you spoiled bra.. holding up people for no reason ?

— Yannick Ngakoue (@YannickNgakoue) April 20, 2020

Vikings fans are no strangers to watching a player publicly show his unhappiness on social media (see Diggs, Stefon). But hey, it’s nice to be on the other side of it!

FIT WITH VIKINGS

Now happily under contract, albeit a one-year deal, in Minnesota, Ngakoue joins a contender and one of the top defenses in the league. With Hunter and Ngakoue as the starters at defensive end and Ifeadi Odenigbo, Jalyn Holmes and fourth-round pick D.J. Wonnum providing depth, the Vikings can again say they have one of the most talented defensive lines in the game.