How the Bears can turn around their pass rush with Yannick Ngakoue
The Chicago Bears made a splash on Thursday night. Veteran free agent pass-rusher Yannick Ngakoue and the Bears are in agreement on a one-year, $10.5M deal with $10M guaranteed. Ngakoue has bounced around lately but has always been an above-average pass rusher. Ngakoue has collected at least eight sacks in each of his seven NFL seasons. […]
The Chicago Bears made a splash on Thursday night.
Veteran free agent pass-rusher Yannick Ngakoue and the Bears are in agreement on a one-year, $10.5M deal with $10M guaranteed.
Ngakoue has bounced around lately but has always been an above-average pass rusher. Ngakoue has collected at least eight sacks in each of his seven NFL seasons. In 2022 as an Indianapolis Colt, Ngakoue collected 9.5 sacks and 29 tackles. For reference, the Bears collected just 20 sacks as a team in 2022.
I've liked Ngakoue's fit in Chicago for months now. Ngakoue has spent much of his career as a 4-3 DE and will be able to play that position in Chicago. A proven pass-rusher is exactly what the Bears needed and Ngakoue was the best remaining option.
Ngakoue will likely slot in at defensive end opposite of DeMarcus Walker. The veteran addition likely means Trevis Gipson will be relegated to a rotational role after struggling a season ago.
Walker is coming off of a career-best campaign with the Tennesee Titans. The veteran has already impressed his new team with his leadership in practice.
Walker and Ngakoue had almost as many sacks between them in 2022 as the entire Bears team. It would not be surprising to see the Bears double their 2022 sack total in 2023.
I still don't see the pass rush as a strength for the Bears, but it is definitely not the weakness it once was. Safety Jaquan Brisker led the team in sacks in 2022, and that will not be the case in 2023.
I also see this move as a positive for Trevis Gipson and Dominique Robinson. Neither young defender seems ready to be a full-time starter. Learning behind Walker and Ngakoue will likely be the best thing for their respective careers.
Just a few months ago, the Bears seemed to have no clear plan to improve the pass rush in 2023. Now, the team has two solid veteran options and improved depth on the edge.
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Featured image via © Robert Scheer/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK
