Jacksonville Jaguars edge rusher Yannick Ngakoue has made it crystal clear that he does not want to play in Jacksonville. He feels disrespected by the front office because they refused to pay him what he believes he is worth. The Jaguars franchise tagged Ngakoue, and Ngakoue has yet to sign the tag. Fans in northeast Florida are probably feeling déjà vu to last year.
The Jaguars dealt with this same scenario last year with Jalen Ramsey. Eventually, contract disputes led to Ramsey being traded to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for two first-round picks. That appears to be the road the Jaguars and Ngakoue are headed down as well.
While Ngakoue is not the player Ramsey is, he is a budding star in his own right. Ngakoue has forced 14 fumbles and accounted for 37.5 sacks in just four seasons with Jacksonville. At 25 years old, he is entering the prime years of his career and should be a hot value on the trade market. With the draft coming up in less than a week, it seems like the ideal time for the Jaguars to move the disgruntled Pro Bowler. Here are three trade scenarios, written as headlines, that would see Ngakoue leaving Duval county.
Trade Scenarios for Yannick Ngakoue in Headlines
Headline #1
Yannick Ngakoue Gains Wings: Jaguars’ edge rusher off to Philly in exchange for the 21st overall selection in the NFL draft
Currently, the Philadelphia Eagles are without a true star at edge rusher. They have Brandon Graham and Dereck Barnett. However, Barnett is more of a rotational player at this stage in his career, and Ngakoue would provide a huge boost to the Eagles’ defensive line. Giving up pick 21 would limit the Eagles’ chances to draft a stud wideout, however, this is one of the deepest WR classes in recent history. The Jaguars would have three first-round picks if this deal happened, including picks 20 and 21 back-to-back. They could draft Ngakoue’s replacement, beef up the offensive line, or give Gardner Minshew more weapons to throw to. This trade is a win-win.
Headline #2
Miami Expedites Rebuild, Adds Yannick Ngakoue in Exchange for Picks 26 and 154
The Miami Dolphins own 14 draft picks this year. They will almost certainly be trading at least a few of these picks, so why not trade for a huge upgrade at a position of need? The Dolphins had a league-low 23 sacks last season. They are in desperate need of a pass rush to go along with a strong secondary. With three first and fifth-round picks, Miami could send the latest of the firsts (26) and 154 to Jacksonville. They acquired pick 154 in the Minkah Fitzpatrick trade last season and would send it to the Jaguars here. This would give Miami three young studs on defense (Ngakoue, Xavien Howard and Byron Jones) to build around.
For Jacksonville, this would again give them three first-round picks and bring them up to 14 total draft picks. They could then later use 154 to potentially move up in the earlier rounds.
Headline #3
Lions Make a Roar Draft Day: Detroit Trades Back, Adds Yannick Ngakoue in the Process
This scenario would see the Jaguars actually trading up with the Detroit Lions to the number three overall selection. Jacksonville would send their ninth pick and Yannick Ngakoue in exchange for the third pick, a third-rounder this year and a fourth-rounder in 2021. It has been reported that Detroit is looking to move back in the draft, and this is one way they could do it. Ngakoue would empower a defensive line group that had just 28 sacks a season ago, and they still have a top-10 selection that they can use to replace Darius Slay. However, they would be missing out on the number one corner in the draft.
Jacksonville would use the third overall selection on Jeff Okudah out of Ohio State. Okudah has been referred to as a can’t miss prospect and has drawn comparisons to Jalen Ramsey in terms of ability. Jacksonville would replace their previous star and still hold on to pick 20, where they could replace Ngakoue. They would also pick up a few mid-round picks to add on to the offense.
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