I won’t mince words: with Yannick Ngakoue now signed in Chicago, the Bears’ defense is officially complete.

They may not end up as the NFL’s best defense in 2023, but with a pass-rusher that can threaten the edge on 3rd downs the Bears have a reliable path towards getting off the field on defense. Ngakoue brings speed and a variety of pass rush moves to Chicago’s EDGE room, and every one of them will be needed throughout the 2023 season.

Yannick’s pass-rushing production speaks for itself — with 9.5 sacks last year, 19.5 sacks over the last two years, he’s a consistent threat on the edge of a defense.

But how does he win? What tools does he use to get the better of the Offensive Tackles he faces? Why was he a Free Agent for so long? What drawbacks does he bring with him to the Bears’ defense?

I dove into Ngakoue’s tape in an effort to answer all of those questions and more  and threw together a short breakdown video — check it out and let me know what you think!

TL;DW

This video is actually quite short for my usual standard (it’s a ~7 minute runtime), but I posted a few clips on Twitter X that show off the highlights of what you should expect to see from Chicago’s newest EDGE:

1. Chicago traded away one cross-chopping EDGE rusher only to sign another:

https://twitter.com/robertkschmitz/status/1687361371770372096

2. Yannick often draws extra attention from offenses, opening up defensive possibilities for his teammates like this clip here:

https://twitter.com/robertkschmitz/status/1687357073288212480

3. Ngakoue can win in more ways than just his speed rush, with each pass-rush move he deploys helping increase his other moves’ effectiveness.

https://twitter.com/robertkschmitz/status/1687350046381973504

Your Turn: What do you think of the Yannick Ngakoue signing?