New England added the former Pro Bowler on Friday.
The New England Patriots made a move to bolster their pass rush as they claimed Yannick Ngakoue off waivers from the Baltimore Ravens last Friday.
The former Pro Bowl pass rusher, who comes to Foxboro with 70.5 career sacks to his name, has been on player on Jerod Mayo’s radar for quite some time.
“We’re excited to get Yannick here. I’ve watched him on tape for a very long time. He’s been a very productive player in this league,” Mayo said Monday. “He has not met with the team yet. In saying that, he’ll get with the coaches here soon. I’m excited to really teach him the playbook and excited to see what he will bring to this team.”
While Ngakoue’s release from Baltimore signals he is not the player he once was, New England hopes the 29-year old can bring some juice to their pass rush and limited depth along the edge.
After posting 4.0 sacks and 34 pressures with the Chicago Bears last season, Ngakoue appeared in just five games for the Ravens so far this season. In his 67 pass rush snaps, he’s posted 1.5 sacks and seven pressures en route to a 12.1 percent pass rush win rate.
Against the run, Ngakoue has been rather inconsistent throughout his career. Despite playing just 17 run defense snaps in Baltimore, Mayo sees a potential three-down player now with New England.
“He’s not just a pass rusher. This guy has the skill set to be able to play on all three downs, which is always exciting,” Mayo said. “Kudos to the scouting department and all those guys for always trying to improve our roster, and we see this as a way of improving us now and going forward.”
After Ngakoue was ruled out last Sunday, the Patriots struggling pass rush had their best game of the season as they posted nine sacks in a win over the Bears. They’ll now look to build off that performance with Ngakoue in the mix, who leaves a Ravens team with Super Bowl aspirations to join the 3-7 Patriots.
“I’ve had a chance to connect with him, and I would say multiple coaches have also. Defensive coaches have connected with him. He’s excited for the opportunity and so are we,” said Mayo.