Yannick Ngakoue Trade Rumors: Jaguars 'Unlikely' to Deal Star Before NFL Draft

The Jacksonville Jaguars are reportedly "unlikely" to trade Yannick Ngakoue prior to the start of the 2020 NFL draft Thursday.

According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, there "hasn't been much traction" on a trade due in part to the complexity involved with securing proper compensation and finding a team willing to give Ngakoue a long-term contract.

The Jags placed the franchise tag on him, but he said he wants out of Jacksonville.

Ngakoue has turned up the heat recently, as he got into a back-and-forth with a Jaguars executive on Twitter this week. He called for Jags Senior Vice President of Football Administration and Technology Tony Khan, the son of owner Shahid Khan, to trade him during the exchange:

While Khan's response suggested the Jaguars are open to honoring Ngakoue's request, he also made it clear the organization won't move him for a discounted price.

Ngakoue, 25, has been in the NFL for four seasons and far outplayed the rookie contract he signed after Jacksonville selected him in the third round of the 2016 draft out of Maryland.

He made an instant impact with eight sacks and followed that up with the best season of his career in 2017. As part of a Jags team that surprisingly went all the way to the AFC Championship Game, he recorded 12 sacks and an NFL-leading six forced fumbles.

Ngakoue has not reached the double-digit sack mark since 2017, but he finished with 9.5 in 2018 and eight last season. He will make $17.79 million next season if he remains with the Jaguars and signs his franchise tender.

The Jags could deal with his departure better than most teams since defensive end Josh Allen fell into their laps with the No. 7 overall pick last year and produced 10.5 sacks as a rookie. Jacksonville currently owns the Nos. 9 and 20 picks in the 2020 draft and has quite a few holes to fill (Jalen Ramsey, Calais Campbell, possibly Ngakoue, to name a few).

Another concern is if the Jags wait too long, perhaps Ngakoue pulls a Le'Veon Bell and sits out the season.