Yannick Ngakoue was better than the Jacksonville Jaguars could have ever hoped for in his rookie season.
After selecting him in the third round with the No. 69 (nice) overall selection, Ngakoue was thought to be a situational pass rusher behind Dante Fowler who would hopefully take over the starting defensive end position opposite a bigger end like Jared Odrick.
“At the end of the day, Ngakoue's upside is limited,” we wrote before the 2016 NFL Draft. “He does not have any physical traits that stand out in a huge way. As a non-premier draft selection, Ngakoue will hold some value. There is not much room for him to realistically improve.”
Oh how wrong we were.
Ngakoue finished the 2016 season with 8.0 sacks, four forced fumbles, and an interception. It’s the best rookie season any Jaguars pass rusher has ever had, including Tony Brackens.
And this sack against Philip Rivers was his first and probably best on the year.