This Lions Trade for Yannick Ngakoue Makes a Ton of Sense

It's no secret that the Jacksonville Jaguars are cleaning house and starting over. Because of this, one of the players that has been made available is edge defender Yannick Ngakoue. The Detroit Lions should definitely go get him.

In the NFC North, getting pressure on the quarterback is vital. We have seen Kirk Cousins get flustered with pressure, Mitchell Trubisky is at his best when he scrambles outside the pocket, and you never want to give Aaron Rodgers extra time to find a player downfield. This could be a reason why the Lions finished last in the division, since this is an area in which they really struggled.

Last season, the Lions totaled just 28 sacks, which is tied for the second fewest in the league. When there are holes in the secondary, like the Lions have, the lack of pass rush pressure makes these holes even larger. This is where Ngakoue could step in and make an impact.

In his four NFL seasons, Ngakoue has totaled 37.5 sacks, with at least 8.0 in every season. This becomes even more impressive when figuring that Jacksonville has been trailing in games more often then playing with a lead.

Getting Ngakoue under contract would also be a terrific move for the future. Obviously, he's talented and will make an impact right away, but he is also just 24 years old. Ngakoue has also remained healthy, missing just one game in his career.

The Lions still hold their own pick in each of the first six rounds of the 2020 NFL Draft, giving them plenty of ammunition to acquire Ngakoue in exchange for draft capital, which could be exactly what the rebuilding Jaguars are looking for.

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