Former Maryland Terrapins have historically done well in Baltimore. Torrey Smith was the first Ravens’ draft pick to go over 1,000 receiving yards in a season, and Jared Gaither had a successful, albeit brief, turn as the Ravens’ left tackle. Yannick Ngakoue (#7, OLB/DE) could be the latest Terp to find success in Baltimore, as the pass rushing standout fits a position of need and should be in the board in Round 2.
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I talked to fellow-BSL contributor Zack Kiesel, a Terrapins expert, and did some scouting of my own to determine whether or not Ngakoue is a fit in Baltimore.
Strengths
Explosion on speed rush
Zack and I agree here… Yannick Ngakoue is explosive.
Zack – “I wouldn’t call him a fast pass-rusher, but he’s explosive. He uses his smaller size to his advantage, moving nimbly around opposing tackles and exploding toward the quarterback.”
The numbers and the tape both support this: Ngakoue’s 10-yard split was one of the best marks among defensive linemen at 1.65 seconds. His 34.5″ vertical and 118″ broad jump are also fairly good numbers for an edge rusher.
When Ngakoue times the snap right, opposing offensive tackles have trouble blocking him. Watch as he gets around the South Florida left tackle with ease.
Plays with good leverage
Length is not a prerequisite for success at the NFL level. Players like Elvis Dumervil and Von Miller have been giving offensive tackles headaches for years, using their relatively small size as an advantage to get leverage. Yannick Ngakoue, at 6’2″, does the same thing very well.
Watch as Ngakoue gets under the left tackles pads, shoves him back and gets a sack
Swim move
I didn’t see many moves from Ngakoue, but his swim move consistently produced pressure.
Some experience playing standing up
Ngakoue played in a 3-4 before Maryland shifted to a 4-3. He can play either, according to Zack. Per Zack:
“Ngakoue is a pure pass-rusher. In fact, he is one of the primary reasons why Maryland moved from a 3-4 defensive scheme in 2014 to a 4-3 in 2015. The coaching staff wanted to feature him as a pass-rusher, and he served as the team’s starting weakside defensive end all year, with most of his playing time coming with his hand down, rushing the passer.
“He can absolutely play in a 3-4 system, and may even fit better there than in a 4-3 due to his size. He played the first two years of his career in a 3-4 system under Brian Stewart before moving to a 4-3 in his final season under Keith Dudzinski. Of course, he wasn’t a full-time starter until that final season in a 4-3 system. During his first two years, he usually entered the game in Stewart’s third-down package and was allowed to let loose and rush the passer. But he’s a player who is more than comfortable standing up and moving around the defensive formation.”
Weaknesses
Hand fighting to shed blocks
Loses track of ball easily
These two weaknesses are intimately related. Too frequently Ngakoue gets locked on his blocker and can’t shed the block. Consequently, there are times that the ball goes right by Ngakoue and he either is unaware or unable to stop it.
Timing the snap
Ngakoue is not always great at timing the snap. He’s not awful, just more inconsistent than a top-tier prospect should be.
Long speed
Ngakoue ran a 4.75 at the combine, and that looks about right. He won’t be chasing down dual-threat quarterbacks, running backs or receivers, but he can hang with tight ends and pocket quarterbacks well enough. This isn’t a big concern, since Ngakoue is fast enough to function in the Ravens’ 3-4, but it does put something of a ceiling on him.
Zack: “I suppose you could consider his speed a weakness, as he certainly isn’t the fastest pass-rusher in the draft (then again, neither is Joey Bosa). For a smaller guy with more of an outside linebacker’s build, his slower 40-time came as a bit of a surprise, but I wouldn’t worry about it too much.”
False steps off the line
See the gif above, where I discuss his explosiveness off the snap. Ngakoue moves so well, yet it took him about five steps to go five yards. Anyone who has ever been a sprinter knows the best way to accelerate quickly is with a big first step. If someone teaches Ngakoue to do that, watch out. For now, his happy feet off the snap are holding him back from being as effective as he could be.
Pro Comparison – Elvis Dumervil
According to Zack, “If you ask him, he’ll tell you Von Miller.” I see Ngakoue more like a former Bronco, the Ravens’ own Elvis Dumervil. Like Dumervil, Ngakoue is explosive off the snap without possessing elite long speed. Further, Ngakoue plays with great leverage, but might lack the rush moves to ascend to the top-tier of NFL pass rushers. Some double-digit sack seasons may be in his future, but Ngakoue is probably no Miller.
Value – Mid-second round
Here, Zack and I agree again. Zack: “I’d put him in the second tier of pass-rushers behind guys like Joey Bosa, Emmanuel Ogbah, and Shaq Lawson. He’s in that group with Shilique Calhoun, Carl Nassib, and Sheldon Day. He came into the Combine as a very underrated player, but people are seeing his abilities on full display now.”
I would put Ogbah in that second tier as well, but I do think Ngakoue is a quality player just behind guys like Bosa and Lawson. His value is probably in the second round, as Ngakoue has great upside but a pretty low floor as well. If he never develops the ability to hand fight, Ngakoue may never become a quality starter, but the athletic upside is there to be a Pro Bowler.
That said, I would be surprised of Ngakoue ends up a Raven. He is too good to fall to the third round, yet he is not quite good enough to be selected 38th overall. The only way Ngakoue ends up being the best value for the Ravens is if they trade back in the second round. It’s certainly possible, but I wouldn’t count on it.
Shawn began his writing career with Bleacher Report as a Ravens featured columnist and Breaking News Team writer. He moved on to write for Yahoo! and work on the Ravens Central Radio podcast. Most recently, he was an Editor at the Baltimore Wire. Shawn is a 2013 graduate of the Catholic University of America.