3 free agents that the Rams need to circle back to after NFL Draft

II DE Yannick Ngakoue

Defensive end Yannick Ngakoue has been a bit of a gypsy of late. After playing the first four seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars, he has peddled his wares by competing for five different NFL teams in the next four seasons. Still, despite the nature of his one-and-done contracts, he does arrive and put up some pretty impressive numbers.

Standing 6-foot-2 and weighing 246 pounds, Ngakoue is ideally suited to play as a defensive end in an even defensive front. He has the veteran chops to be effective as a defensive end in an odd-man front as well. and his veteran leadership could be a welcome addition to a young defensive line.

While the role for Ngakoue to be a rotational performer may not be large enough for the eight-year veteran, he may warm up to the idea if the 2024 NFL season nears and he is still waiting for the phone to ring with an offer. The Rams, while competing without Aaron Donald this year, have an incredibly young and talented defensive front that offers the perfect stage for a veteran to repair his reputation and bolster his numbers.

Ngakoue is a pass rush specialist, a guy who loves to pin his ears back and terrorize the opposing quarterback. As such, he is not an obvious three-down defensive end for the team. But he is a seasoned starter, he can deliver some quality pass rush snaps if managed correctly, and his presence will dissipate some of the burden on young players like Desjuan Johnson and UDFA DE Anthony Goodlow.

Yannick Ngakoue is not an ideal solution for this defense, but he does bring a lot of experience to help the team manage the first half of the season.