OWINGS MILLS — The Ravens hope Yannick Ngakoue will give them a bigger boost than he did in his previous time with the team.
The Ravens officially signed the veteran pass rusher and former University of Maryland star to the practice squad this week.
In a corresponding move, the Ravens released rookie outside linebacker Joe Evans from the practice squad.
The Ravens originally acquired Ngakoue in October 2020 from the Minnesota Vikings for a 2021 third-round pick and a 2022 conditional fifth-round pick. In nine games with the Ravens, Ngakoue had 11 tackles, including two for a loss, three sacks and two forced fumbles.
However, Ngakoue did not appear comfortable under former defensive coordinator Don Martindale, who expected his linebackers to be fully dimensional. Ngakoue’s forte is pressuring the quarterback and not necessarily stopping the run or dropping back in pass coverage.
Baltimore declined to re-sign him after the season.
Ngakoue could perform better under new Ravens defensive coordinator Zachary Orr.
In addition to the Ravens and Vikings, Ngakoue has played for the Jacksonville Jaguars, Chicago Bears, Indianapolis Colts, and the Las Vegas Raiders. He has been a productive player over his career, amassing 69 sacks.
Last season with the Bears, Ngakoue started 13 games and finished with 22 tackles and four sacks.
The Ravens could use a stronger pass rush to relieve pressure on their struggling secondary. They have 10 sacks in three games — ranked fifth in the NFL. Kyle Van Noy leads the team with four sacks and Odafe Oweh is second with 2 1/2sacks.
While the contract details have not been disclosed, the addition of Ngakoue is likely a low-cost, high-reward proposition for the team. He can also potentially serve as a mentor to some of the team’s younger pass rushers such as David Ojabo.
