The Baltimore Ravens are signing veteran defensive end Yannick Ngakoue to their practice squad, a team source confirmed Monday, to potentially bolster their pass rush.
Ngakoue, 29, previously played in Baltimore in 2020, recording three sacks, two tackles for loss and two forced fumbles in nine games.
Through three games this season, the Ravens (1-2) have given up the most passing yards per game (291.7) and the sixth-most points (26.0). Adding Ngakoue, a one-time Pro Bowler, could help. He ranks 15th among active players with 69 sacks.
Ngakoue last played with the Chicago Bears in 2023 on a one-year, $10.5 million contract. He totaled 22 tackles, six tackles for loss and four sacks in 13 games before breaking his ankle on Dec. 10.
The Ravens earned their first win of the season Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys, 28-25, and will host the Buffalo Bills in Week 4 on Sunday night.
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What Ngakoue brings to Baltimore
The Ravens led the league in sacks last year, but they lost a big piece to that pass-rush puzzle when Jadeveon Clowney departed in free agency. They didn’t replace Clowney with a veteran, leaving them heavily dependent on 33-year-old Kyle Van Noy and a host of young edge rushers taking a step forward. The early returns have been OK. Van Noy has four sacks over the past two games.
Former first-round pick Odafe Oweh had 2 1/2 sacks in Week 2. David Ojabo, a 2022 second-round pick, is healthy again and showing signs of progress. However, the Ravens’ pressure rate is down from last year under first-year defensive coordinator Zach Orr. The Ravens are also last in the league in pass defense. Ngakoue is a player who has shown that he can impact the quarterback. — Jeff Zrebiec, Ravens senior writer
Baltimore’s fourth quarter issues
The defense’s issues have primarily been in the fourth quarter and it has clearly become a source of concern for Ravens decision makers. The Ravens blew a 10-point fourth-quarter lead in a Week 2 home loss to the Las Vegas Raiders. On Sunday, they watched the Cowboys reel off 19 straight points in the fourth quarter before the Ravens ultimately put away a three-point
Coach John Harbaugh said Monday that one of the factors in the late-game issues is the pass rush not being aligned with the coverage on the back end. Ngakoue probably won’t be an every-down player for the Ravens. He’ll likely be used as a pass-rush specialist. However, he’s plenty capable of making a play late in the game to help get the Ravens off the field. — Zrebiec
Required reading
(Photo: Ryan Kang / Getty Images)
