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Where will Yannick Ngakoue and Maxx Crosby stack up against NFL’s best pass rushers?

Ngakoue thinks they can be the best

Los Angeles Chargers v Las Vegas Raiders
Maxx Crosby
Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Last week, Yannick Ngakoue announced his arrival to the Las Vegas Raiders in a memorable way.

The free-agent prize pass rusher proclaimed that he and fellow Raiders’ defensive end Maxx Crosby could be the best pass rusher duo in the NFL this season.

“I think that Maxx and myself are the best duo that’s going to come hit the scene,” Ngakoue told media members last Wednesday. “I’m already putting that out there ... Maxx is a hard worker. He’s a guy that’s putting in the work. Literally, I’m lifting weights right now and Maxx is in there doing things to get better. It’s the dedication and commitment. I can play all day with a guy like that.”

I loved Ngakoue’s confidence and expectation level.

He and Crosby certainly have the ability to be a dynamic pass rush tandem. Ngakoue has 45.5 career sacks in five NFL seasons and Crosby has 17 sacks in two years, so they both have solid resumes when it comes to bring down the quarterback.

However, for these two to be the best in the NFL, they will have to outproduce a lot of great pass rush tandems.

San Francisco 49ers v Kansas City Chiefs
Frank Clark, Chris Jones
Photo by Peter Aiken/Getty Images

Among the best in the NFL are:

(Clark is facing weapons charges that could affect his season.)

These are all power tandems, but if Ngakoue and Crosby can both stay healthy, they have a chance to live up to Ngakoue’s claims. If so, the Raiders will be in business.