One thing that studies of defense have found is that star power doesn’t always equate to success. Often times the weakest links determine the outcome.

“A defense’s performance in coverage is every bit a function of lesser-regarded players than it is its stars,” PFF’s Eric Eager wrote in a study this summer. “And while the highest-performing pass rusher in a game can be the most important, results there are mixed as well, as the highest-graded pass rusher going into a game is not the one who has the biggest impact on game results from a pass defense perspective.”

On its surface, the trade for Ngakoue would appear to add another star to a defense that still has potential weaknesses. Both starting interior D-linemen are playing different positions from last year and none of the four cornerbacks likely to play most have more than 1,000 career snaps (and two of the four have none).

But the tie-in between the ability to create pressure with more than Danielle Hunter and covering receivers effectively can’t be ignored.

“Any time you have the ability to affect the passing game, either through rushing the quarterback, getting pressure on the quarterback, getting a sack on the quarterback, that definitely has a trickle down effect into how it effects the secondary,” defensive backs coach Daronte Jones said on Sunday. “So we’re all excited as an organization to have that addition. We’re looking forward to him joining us. So I know the guys on the back end, we’re all excited. It’ll be fun.”

It’s a fundamental fact that quarterbacks perform worse under pressure but PFF’s data shows us exactly how much. Spoiler: It’s a lot.

Last year 13 quarterbacks posted QB ratings of over 100 with a clean pocket (and three more were between 99-100). Under pressure only Drew Brees, Ryan Tannehill and Lamar Jackson had higher than 90 QB ratings.

Here’s how the Vikings’ opposing QB schedule performed with and without pressure last year:



Since coming into the league in 2016, Ngakoue has the second most QB pressures in his draft class with 232 and has twice ranked in the top 15 edge rushers in pressure rate. He also has a penitent for big plays with 14 forced fumbles.

Prior to the trade we would have expected much more attention be spent by opposing defenses on Danielle Hunter. Now teams will have to split up their extra blocking help between the two game-wreckers as they did for many years with Hunter-Griffen.

“Typically if you've got two guys, they try to chip with two guys,” head coach Mike Zimmer said.

More running backs and tight ends blocking equates to fewer options for quarterbacks to throw short to checkdowns or hot routes when pressure comes.

Another element of the deal is that the Vikings’ outside rush gain is also their interior rush gain.

If the Vikings were simply replacing Ifeadi Odenigbo, who had 7.0 sacks last year, with Ngakoue, the difference might not be massive in the overall impact on the defense. Odenigbo pressured the QB on 6.2% of snaps and Ngakoue did so on 6.5% of pass rushes. The newest Viking had exactly 1.0 more sacks. But the acquisition now frees up Odenigbo to play a similar role as last year and remain an impact player.

“We’ve used him on the inside on pass rush before,” Zimmer said. “That’s probably a natural progression.”

In 2019, Odenigbo lined up inside on 110 of his 401 total plays, per PFF data.

How much will Ngakoue and the trickle-down effect of the trade matter?

If pressure slows down all quarterbacks and helps boost cornerbacks, the Vikings have an opportunity to perform better in the area most predictive of overall success: Passing efficiency.

San Francisco and Kansas City ranked No. 1 and No. 5, respectively, in net yards per pass attempt allowed on defense and No. 3 and No. 2 in net yards per pass attempt offensively last year.

Until the league has a major shift (which is unlikely any time soon), the route to the Super Bowl goes through the air.

Adding Ngakoue did not make the Vikings a shoe-in for the Super Bowl. It did improve them on multiple levels and shutting down opponents’ air attack. And if everything falls into place, he’ll do that for years to come.