Steelers' Arthur Moats Highlights Why Signing This Former Ravens Pass Rusher Is Brilliant

The Pittsburgh Steelers' most dominant unit over the past five years has been their pass rushing. Led by 2021 AP Defensive Player of the Year winner TJ Watt, the Steelers have found their way to get to the football. They also have Alex Highsmith, who had a breakout season in 2022. He is due for a contract extension and expects to be paid well, but there is little depth behind the two stars. This could lead to what could be another free agency signing before the start of the 2023 regular season.

Potential Good Fit For The Steelers

One of the big names that have been thrown around is 2020 second-overall pick, Chase Young. He has been prone to injuries throughout his career, so if that magically happened, it wouldn't be too big of a hall to get him. A new name that has recently popped into being a potentially good fit for the Steelers is Pro Bowler Yannick Ngakoue. He is a sneakily good player and seems to be highly underrated. During his seven-year career so far, he has had eight sacks or more in each season. So, when it comes to production, Ngakoue is the perfect player to bring consistency to the field if someone like Watt or Highsmith needs a break.

Former Steelers linebacker Arthur Moats would comment his thoughts on Ngakoue. He noted on The Arthur Moats Experience with Deke that he is the perfect backup to have on the team. Bringing him in would help immensely. He would specialize in being a guy who can give someone a break in a pass-rush situation. This could not only be good for depth, but also be used to fill one particular role of being a pash rush specialist.

"When you bring in a Yannick who's a dope pass rusher in his own right, but to me, he is still more so a pass rush specialist, then like a true starter guy." Moats then noted, "With Yannick, you're just talking about the depth."

"Almost treat Yannick like a slot corner. I only bring you out here when it is an obvious pass situation and I need a fastball. I need a dude that can go out there and win consistently and cook."

One of the comparisons that Moats brought to the table if the Steelers were to get Ngakoue is the Philadelphia Eagles. Just last year they made a run to the Super Bowl and a big part of that was because of how deep their defensive front was. They always had an elite player on the field that could get to the quarterback. The Eagles were able to emphasize this mentality in the 2023 NFL Draft when they took Jalen Carter and Nolan Smith. 

If the Steelers can manage to bring depth like Ngakoue to their team, it could help make them elite. You could even go as far as to say that it could be as good as the 2008 Steelers' defense if they would continue this trend.

"When I think of that Philadelphia Eagles front on defense and how they can literally come at you in waves. Right now, we're one injury away from being without a TJ or Highsmith."

"We saw that same exact model in Philly where it was literally, we were going to dominate you in the trenches, we're going to have dudes that can come off the bench that can still win one-on-ones, they can still cook you so you're never getting a break. In turn, that keeps my guy, Hassan Reddick super fresh so he's cooking you the whole time too."

So, what do you think, Steeler Nation? Would bringing in Ngakoue be beneficial to the team? Let me know in the comments below!

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