The New York Giants may soon be making an interesting addition to their defensive front.
Just moments after battling the Washington Commanders to a 27-27 tie in Week 5, NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported that New York will be hosting former Pro Bowl defensive end Yannick Ngakoue for a workout on Monday, Oct. 12.
Ngakoue, 31, last played in the NFL in 2024, when he suited up for six games with the New England Patriots after joining the team following his release by the Baltimore Ravens in November. During his stint in Foxborough, he registered nine total tackles. In all, he compiled 14 tackles and 1.5 sacks in 11 games that season.
The 6-foot-3, 250-pound defender sat out the 2025 season to let his body recover from injuries, most notably a lingering ankle injury that caused him to miss the latter part of the 2023 season. Per Schultz’s report, he is now fully healthy and ready to return to the field.
Ngakoue is a veteran of nine NFL seasons through 2024 with the Jacksonville Jaguars (2016-19), Minnesota Vikings (2020), Ravens (2020 and 2024, under Giants coach John Harbaugh), Las Vegas Raiders (2021), Indianapolis Colts (2022) and Chicago Bears (2023), in addition to the Patriots in the latter part of 2024.
Ngakoue originally entered the NFL as a third-round draft pick (69th overall) of Jacksonville out of Maryland. Overall, he has played in 134 NFL games with 115 starts and has 238 total tackles, 70.5 sacks, two interceptions (one returned for a touchdown), 13 passes defensed, and 21 forced fumbles.
What This Could Mean
As the NFL’s Nov. 10 trade deadline approaches, several analysts have wondered whether the Giants may look to make changes along their defensive front, specifically regarding the future of outside linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux.
With outside linebacker Brian Burns out for the season due to a torn ACL, the Giants are relying on the depth of their front seven to provide additional help on the outside. Thibodeaux has been aligning at the edge, given his experience and skill set.
Still, Thibodeaux continues to struggle. Through New York’s first five games, the Oregon product has generated only seven pressures per PFF and has yet to register a sack in 203 defensive snaps. Against the run, he recorded two solo tackles. He logged only one tackle against the Commanders in Week 5.
If the Giants trade Thibodeaux, they would not incur any dead money because of his expiring contract. Though he and Ngakoue play similar positions, Thibodeaux has traditionally been a better run defender, while Ngakoue is at his best in pass-defense packages.
In the final analysis, it would not be inconceivable for New York, which currently has an open spot on its 53-man roster, to carry both players, helping bolster a front seven that has been playing aggressive football under first-year defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson.
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