LA Chargers: 3 new Las Vegas Raiders players to worry about
By Jason Reed
1. Yannick Ngakoue
It is pretty ironic that the one thing that has continually eluded the Las Vegas Raiders since trading Khalil Mack is the exact thing that Mack provided: the ability to get pressure on the quarterback. The Raiders have brought in various different players to help fill that Mack-sized hole and with little success.
This year the team made arguably its biggest addition on the defensive line, signing Pro Bowl edge rusher Yannick Ngakoue to a two-year contract. He is not quite Khalil Mack, but he is the most talented player the Raiders have had since Mack left, arguably on the entire defensive side of the ball, not just the defensive line.
The Raiders are hoping the Jacksonville version of Ngakoue shows up, not the one who played for the Minnesota Vikings and Baltimore Ravens last season. While he still recorded eight sacks, he noticeably was not the same player that he was with Jacksonville.
However, I think it was a situational thing and does not entail that Ngakoue is already on his way down. The Vikings were terrible defensively last season and getting traded midseason certainly does not help.
He is not old. Ngakoue is entering his age 26 season and the Raiders signed him for what should be his prime years. While I would not say he is an absolute menacing threat, he is someone who could have a big game against the Chargers and absolutely shift the outcome.