The Las Vegas Raiders continued their busy Wednesday by dealing away a core piece of their pass rush — dealing defensive end Yannick Ngakoue to the Indianapolis Colts for cornerback Rock Ya-Sin.
The move comes hours after the AFC West side snagged veteran defensive end Chandler Jones, one of the most consistent pass rushers in the NFL who has led the league in sacks since 2012.
The 26-year-old was Las Vegas” leading sack artist in 2021, creating a serviceable duo opposite Maxx Crosby. The two posted 18 of the team’s 35 sacks on the season — an indicator of just how poor Las Vegas’ pass rush had been.
It was the first time in Ngakoue’s career that he posted double-digit sacks after a pair of underwhelming stints with the Minnesota Vikings and Baltimore Ravens.
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He was just one of the Raiders’ casualties on Wednesday as the team also parted ways with veteran defensive end Carl Nassib and linebacker Nick Kwiatkoski.
But Las Vegas has been looking to bolster their pass defense, and getting a promising young quarterback like Ya-Sin is a step in the right direction. While he’s yet to play a full season in his three-year professional career, the 25-year-old posted a career-best eight passes defended in just 13 games during the 2021 campaign.
In Indianapolis, the Colts have now added another dangerous threat to the opposing quarterback on their defensive front. They already boast 2020 first-team All-Pro selection DeForest Buckner, a two-time Pro Bowler, and Kwity Paye, who posted 4.0 sacks in his rookie season.
