FOXBORO — The Patriots have primarily tried to build their roster with young players who could be part of the team’s future, but they have made two notable exceptions this season.

After trading Joshua Uche to the Chiefs, the Patriots claimed veteran pass rusher Yannick Ngakoue, 29, off waivers from the Ravens. And with Marcus Jones sidelined with a hip injury, the team signed 32-year-old wide receiver/punt returner Alex Erickson to their practice squad.

Ngakoue has played a sizable role on defense since being added ahead of Week 10. He made his Patriots debut in Week 11 and has played 96 snaps through four games with a season-high 31 coming in Week 12.

PFF has charted Ngakoue with two pressures, including a QB hit in that span of time. The Patriots’ pass rushers will need to step up this week against the Bills by providing pressure on Josh Allen and keeping the MVP candidate in the pocket Sunday in Buffalo.

Learn more about Ngakoue, who loves dogs and would have combat sports aspirations if football hadn’t worked out, on and off the field in our new Patriots Q&A series.

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BH: What’s your first football memory?

YN: First football memory was my mother dropping me off at practice in sixth grade. Didn’t really know too much about X’s and O’s but just excited.

BH: What was your first position?

YN: Tight end.

BH: What other sports did you play before football?

YN: Soccer was my first sport.

BH: Top high school football memory?

YN: Winning the state championship my senior year (at Friendship Collegiate Academy in Washington, D.C.)

BH: Top college football memory?

YN: First bowl game as a freshman. We lost (to Marshall in the Military Bowl), but it was still a great experience.

BH: What made Maryland so special?

YN: Just being home. Being able to be 10 minutes down the street from my mother. Loved it.

BH: What would you be doing if you weren’t a football player?

YN: Honestly, some kind of sport. Maye some sort of combat sport. Something like that. I don’t know.

BH: Have you trained in combat sports?

YN: Absolutely. In the offseason, do some boxing, some jiu-jitsu work.

BH: Have you talked to (Patriots director of skill development) Joe Kim about that?

YN: Absolutely, that’s his stuff right there.

(Kim founded Football Combatives, a program that utilizes martial arts-driven techniques and applies them to the game of football in 2017.)

BH: Who was your favorite athlete growing up?

YN: Michael Jordan.

BH: Favorite movie?

YN: Too many good ones.

BH: Favorite musical artist?

YN: Too many good ones.

BH: Who have you been closest with since you joined the Patriots?

YN: I would say everyone. This is a family unit. Specifically my unit, the outside linebackers. We’re super close. So, I would say them.

BH: Who’s the funniest player on the team?

YN: It’s a lot of funny guys. I can’t pick just one, but a bunch of funny guys. I like 91 (Deatrich Wise). 91 is super funny.

BH: What’s your favorite thing about the New England region?

YN: I like it, man. It’s a great culture here. Great food. I’ve been out to a couple spots. I still like it I’m not too far from home as a Maryland guy.

BH: Who’s a player around the league that’s underrated or underappeciated?

YN: It’s a bunch of those guys, man. I would say including myself. Early on and even now in my career. At the end of the day, you’ve just got to keep working. It doesn’t matter if you’re underrated or overlooked, that’s even more of a reason to keep working, keep going.

BH: Do you have a hidden talent?

YN: Nah, no hidden talents. Basically just a regular guy, just got a soft spot for dogs. I love dogs. I love them.

BH: How many dogs do you have?

YN: I have two. My mother has a pitbull mixed with a Staffordshire terrier, and I have a Belgian malinois.

New England Patriots defender Yannick Ngakoue stands for the national anthem before playing against the Arizona Cardinals in an NFL game, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Jeff Lewis)