After trying to go cheap on the defensive line over the last few years, the Raiders finally decided to adequately address the position. The team signed former Pro Bowler Yannick Ngakoue to a lucrative two-year deal to pair with Maxx Crosby.
Ngakoue isn’t much of a run player, but he knows how to get after the quarterback. In five seasons in the NFL, he’s totaled 45.5 sacks and 96 quarterback hits. The hope is that with Ngakoue, Crosby and Clelin Ferrell, the defensive ends will finally be able to pressure the quarterback at a consistent rate.
In a recent article by Maurice Moton of Bleacher Report, he gave his nine bold predictions for the 2021 season. One of those predictions included the Raiders as he believes that Ngakoue and Crosby could each tally double-digit sacks this year. Here is a snippet of his thoughts on the bookends in Las Vegas:
“Ngakoue already has a solid resume with a Pro Bowl campaign (2017) and at least eight sacks in all five of his seasons. As a rookie, he played under new Raiders defensive coordinator Gus Bradley, who served as the Jacksonville Jaguars head coach between 2013 and 2016.
Crosby isn’t a household name yet, but he’s clearly one of the Raiders’ best draft picks under the Jon Gruden-Mike Mayock regime. The 2019 fourth-rounder has recorded 17 sacks in two seasons. While playing with a broken metal plate in his hand and torn labrum, he ranked among the top 20 in quarterback pressures (32) and finished with seven sacks last year.”
If Ngakoue and Crosby are both able to total double-digit sacks, this team has the chance to be really, really good. We already know the offense should be among the best in the NFL and with an even average defense, the sky is the limit for the Raiders.
While double-digit sacks for both Crosby and Ngakoue seems like a bit of a stretch, don’t be surprised if this duo is very effective for Las Vegas during the 2021 season.
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