The Ravens signed edge rusher Yannick Ngakoue to their practice squad Tuesday, reuniting with the former Maryland standout to help bolster an inconsistent pass rush.
Ngakoue, 29, had four sacks in 13 games with the Chicago Bears last season before breaking his ankle and did not participate in any training camps this summer. As a practice squad member, he will not count against the Ravens’ 53-man-roster limit and can get up to speed in defensive coordinator Zach Orr’s system. Undrafted rookie outside linebacker Joe Evans was released in a corresponding move.
Ngakoue’s arrival in Baltimore comes four years after a disappointing half-season stint for the Ravens. Acquired in a late-October 2020 trade with the Minnesota Vikings for a 2021 third-round pick and a 2022 fifth-round pick, Ngakoue had just three sacks in nine games. He played 30 defensive snaps in his final regular-season appearance and a combined 41 snaps in the Ravens’ two playoff games, with then-coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale choosing to play more reliable run defenders out wide.
Ngakoue, a Pro Bowl selection in 2017, had 10 sacks in 2021 with the Las Vegas Raiders and 9.5 sacks in 2022 with the Indianapolis Colts. But he struggled last season in Chicago, not only against the run but as a pass rusher as well. According to Pro Football Focus, his 4.8% win rate ranked last in the NFL among 55 qualifying edge defenders.
In Baltimore, Ngakoue will get a fresh start with Orr and pass rush coach Chuck Smith. While the Ravens rank ninth in the NFL in sacks (10), they’re 14th in sack rate (7.8%) and 29th in pressure rate (26.7%), which tends to be more predictive of sacks.
