Flag Plants, Big Calls on Defensive Linemen

Photo: USA Today Sports

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We asked our staff to make a call on a defensive lineman. Who will surprise - either good or bad? Here are their answers.

Joseph Haggan

Yannick Ngakoue could finish as a top-15 defensive lineman.

For starters, he is rejoining the defensive coordinator that drafted him, Gus Bradley. As a rookie under Coach Bradley, Ngakoue set the Jaguars' all-time rookie sack record with 8. Since that 2016 season, Ngakoue has had at least 8 sacks in every one of his seasons in the NFL. In 2021, Ngakoue had a tackling grade of 62.5 per PFF, the second best of his career. He has always been knocked for his tackling and run defense, yet he has still averaged a 72% snap-share per season. This shows that Ngakoue sees plenty of time on the field, even though he is a poor tackler.

He racked up 62 pressures in 2021, the third-best mark of his career. Ngakoue has been praised for his personality and leadership in a younger defensive end group consisting of Dayo Odenigbo and Kwity Paye. Ngakoue should see a lion's snap-share in a defensive line that should be stout. Add the fact that he is with a coordinator that knows how to use Ngakoue to his strengths, and this could be his best season yet.

Tripp Brebner

Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Josh Sweat will be the DL2 you draft as a DL4 this month.

Sweat was a 5-star prospect that Florida State landed near the pinnacle of its football program. Sweat's college career was beset with injuries, and his stock plummeted alongside that of Seminoles football.

Sweat put himself back on football's radar at the NFL Combine by demonstrating the athleticism college scouts saw four years earlier. Kent Lee Platte of RAS.football scores him a 9.71 out of 10 for the position. Platte's research further shows the correlation between athleticism and NFL success is stronger at defensive end than at any other position.

Sweat barely played after the Eagles made him a 4th-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. His workload and production have steadily increased since. He earned the starting nod in Week 4 of 2021. From that point forward, he collected 35 tackles and 7.0 sacks in 13 games.

ESPN credited Sweat with a pass-rush win rate of 26%, good for third among NFL edge defenders in 2021. He accomplished this with very little help from the second and third levels of the Eagles' defense. Philadelphia blitzed on 16.4% of its snaps, the second-lowest rate in the league per Pro Football Reference.

Philly's additions of CB James Bradberry, OLB Haason Reddick, and rookie nose tackle Jordan Davis should open up more of the Eagles' playbook in 2022. More blitzing and more talent to command the attention of opposing pass protections should aid Sweat's efforts.

The Eagles franchise acknowledged Sweat's ability with a 3-year, $40M contract extension ahead of the 2021 season. Sweat was named to the Pro Bowl following the season.

In 2022, IDP gamers will join the rest of the football world in recognizing Sweat as one of the league's better defensive ends. He's a solid bet for 50 tackles and 10.0 sacks for your fantasy team.