Calais Campbell is excited to be reunited with former teammate Yannick Ngakoue. Campbell and Ngakoue were teammates together in Jacksonville but will now reassemble in Baltimore. Campbell is convinced that Ngakoue will fit the Ravens like a hand in a glove.
“What it means to be a Raven, he possesses that,” Campbell said Monday, via the Baltimore Sun. “He loves the game of football.”
“I hope this really works out for him here and he can be a long-time Raven, because this place, it really is special,” Campbell said of Ngakoue. “He’s probably one of the hardest-working people I’ve ever met. He watches a lot of tape. He’s always first in line, running sprints as hard as he can, gets to the ball. When they say, ‘lead the league in effort,’ he’s definitely going to be an effort guy. You see it when you watch his tape; he’s a high-motor guy.
“The coaching staff here, the organization, they’re going to allow him to be himself and to flourish. So I feel like this is going to be a great place for him. I’m really excited for him.”
The Ravens currently rank eighth in the NFL in QB pressure rate (27.6 percent) and disruption rate (29.9 percent). It’s a great defense, but their lone hole is a bonafide pass rusher. Pernell McPhee is okay but no longer in his prime. Before this trade, Baltimore never adequately replace Za’Darius Smith.
Ngakoue is one of the league’s premier pass rushers. In six games, Ngakoue was able to notch five sacks. For a third-round and fifth-round pick, the Ravens were able to acquire a war daddy pass rusher. Best of all, Ngkoue gets to return home, who played for the University of Maryland.
