Cleveland Browns free agency 2021: Top 5 targets

1. Yannick Ngakoue

Ngakoue has struggled to find a home over the last two seasons because he’s failed to develop into the No. 1 edge rusher teams want him to be.  The reality is that Ngakoue is much better suited to be a high-level No. 2 option than he is to be a team’s primary pass-rushing threat.

That makes him an ideal fit opposite Garrett in Cleveland. The Browns would be happy to add an edge rusher who can flirt with double-digit sacks with a PFF grade just under 70 next season. That’s just what Ngakoue gave his respective teams last season.

The upside to Ngakoue’s free agency is that his lack of dominant sack numbers should prevent his price tag from becoming exorbitant. The Ravens might make him a significant offer to retain him this offseason, but he’s not going to approach the $20 million per season price tag people thought he might when last season began.

If Cleveland can lock Ngakoue in with a multi-year deal that pays him less than $15 million per season it could turn into a massive bargain. There’s a chance he gets superior offers to that in free agency, but that should be the limit to the Browns’ interest.