Dallas Cowboys: Who could step up in DeMarcus Lawrence’s absence?

Yannick Ngakoue

The Jacksonville Jaguars have yet to trade disgruntled defensive end, Yannick Ngakoue. It is unclear if he is willing to play on the franchise tag. What we do know is he has been requesting a trade from the team.

The Jaguars want to keep Ngakoue around, and for good reason. The former third-round pick has been great and is still only 25-years-old.

In four seasons, he only missed one game. In that time he took the NFL by storm with 8.0+ sacks each season. He does need some work in defending the run, having 30+ tackles in only 2019 and 2017.

What he loves to do is make big plays, such as forcing 14 fumbles, and recovering three of them with one returned for a touchdown. Much like Clowney, Ngakoue can make plays against the passing game with nine batted passes and two interceptions with one being returned for a touchdown.

As a pass rusher, the disgruntled Ngakoue should not be questioned. He was rewarded for his efforts with a Pro Bowl in 2017.

Defending the run would be a problem for the left side of the defensive line, but hopefully, he can shore that part of his game up. If that happens, he would be a great addition.

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With a new defense that is supposed to be more aggressive and make big plays, Ngakoue fits the mold. The only issue would be what the Cowboys would need to give up to claim him, and the high likelihood that he will only be around for the one season.

He would be a great rental piece, but only at the right price. Forfeiting top picks (which is likely what Jacksonville would want) would damage the Cowboys in the long run.

There’s a chance that DeMarcus Lawrence may not even sit out of training camp, nevermind the season. Dallas should lay their options out on the table if it does end up happening though. Leaving such a large hole on their team unaddressed would severely hinder the Cowboys 2020 season.