Yannick Ngakoue feels like he wasn’t utilized the right way in Baltimore

Last season, the Baltimore Ravens made a big splash ahead of the trade deadline by acquiring defensive end Yannick Ngakoue from the Minnesota Vikings in exchange for a third-round pick and a fifth-round pick. He was expected to make a big impact on the defensive side of the ball with his skills as a pass rusher.

Despite the on-paper fit, Ngakoue’s time in Baltimore did not go as planned. He accumulated 11 total tackles and just three sacks in nine games. Many fans were not happy with his performance, and the team decided not to re-sign Ngakoue, as signed a two-year, $26 million contract with Las Vegas Raiders.

Jeremy Fowler of ESPN put together his thoughts about what he learned from trips to multiple NFL training camps, including the Raiders. He revealed how Ngakoue felt about his time with the Ravens, saying that he didn’t feel that he was utilized properly.

“I feel like in Baltimore, I wasn’t utilized the right way. That rotation was kind of ugly for me. Pass rushers need rhythm. You have to have multiple players to set up moves & I felt like I didn’t have that there.”

Ngakoue came within inches of a few more sacks than his overall total in Baltimore, but his overall lack of production was disappointing. He was meant to boost the Ravens’ pass rush, but there were stretches where he didn’t make much of an impact on the field, and with his skill set he sometimes had to be left on the sidelines in run situations.

With the former University of Maryland star now in Las Vegas, the Ravens added new pass rushing options, including Justin Houston, Odafe Oweh, and Daelin Hayes.