The iconic Oakland Raiders are a thing of the past, as the franchise has decided to relocate to the city of Las Vegas, Nevada. With high-profile Head Coach Jon Gruden and General Manager Mike Mayock running the show, the Vegas Raiders are primed for success in the near future. A big part of that will be the first draft pick Mayock ever made when he selected EDGE Clelin Ferrell with the fourth overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft.
Clelin Ferrell was one of the early surprise picks of the 2019 NFL draft, but not when looking at PSO’s 2019 NFL Draft big board which had ranked him as the second best prospect thanks to his outstanding film at Clemson and despite his modest combine numbers. Ferrell struggled early in the season as he adjusted to the early growing pains of the NFL and the pressure to produce as a fourth overall pick. However, the RVA Benedictine grad came along as the season progressed and started to show his true potential in this league.
Ferrell developed into a strong run defender as the season progressed by producing 65+ run grades in each of his last six games (via PFF). As a pass rusher, he lacks elite bend but he can make up for it with his burst off the line, length, pass rushing moves, and the relentless pursuit it takes to consistently get to the QB. Although Ferrell wasn’t able to pressure the quarterback much in 2019, his trajectory as a pass rusher will continue to climb in 2020 and beyond.
It’s only a matter of time before Ferrell turns his premier tools into premier production and Raider Nation will see a lot more 6 Tackle, 2.5 Sack performances (Chargers in week 10) from the promising prospect in the future. In the offseason, the former fourth overall pick is wasting no time to improve his game and hit the ground running for the 2020 season. Considering fellow rookie EDGE Maxx Crosby outshined him in 2019, Ferrell has a chip on his shoulder to not only become the best edge rusher in Las Vegas, but one of the best EDGE’s in the game. Period.
How great is it that two players who have been questioned combine to secure this win. Clelin Ferrell’s pressure forces Stafford to throw this off his back foot and Karl Joseph gets the PBU. #RaiderNation gets the win to jump to 4-4!!!! pic.twitter.com/OkOdguETRa
— Chris Reed (@ChrisReed_NFL) November 4, 2019
FUTURE OUTLOOK: A
The Las Vegas Raiders have found their edge rushers of the future after selecting Clelin Ferrell and Maxx Crosby in the 2019 NFL Draft. The Raiders round out the group with 2018 third round pick Arden Key and former Hard Knocks star Carl Nassib. Defensive Coordinator Paul Guenther now has four options coming off the edge that can all produce at a starting-caliber level while under the age of 28.
Carl Nassib was surprisingly cut by the Cleveland Browns just two years into his career and right before the 2018 season. Nassib was quickly picked up by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and has produced 12.5 sacks in 17 starts over the past two seasons. Crazy Carl’s versatile skill set was impressive enough to earn a 3y/$25M contract this offseason, making him a Raider through 2022.
Arden Key broke his foot in the seventh game of the season causing him to be placed on IR and miss the final nine games. Key’s only produced three sacks in the first 23 games of his career and has to pick up the production if he wants to remain with the Silver and Black beyond next season. He’s now surrounded by an extremely crowded EDGE group as he enters his third season, so this could be a make-or-break season for the LSU alum that inserts him atop the Raiders depth chart or buried under three other very capable contributors.
Despite being the only draft pick of the group picked after Day 2 (fourth round), Maxx Crosby could possibly follow-up his impressive rookie campaign as the best Raiders pass rusher once again in 2020. The Eastern Michigan product put his name on the map after putting up 10 sacks in 2019 (the most by a Raiders rookie since 1983), but found himself left off the NFL All-Rookie Team in favor of DROY Nick Bosa and Josh Allen. Like Ferrell, Crosby will have a chip on his shoulder of his own entering Year 2.
The combination of Ferrell, Crosby, Nassib, and Key presumably provide the Raiders with four starting-caliber EDGE that can follow Philly’s path to a championship by continuously rotating four guys among two spots to always keep them fresh and producing at their highest level. All four of Vegas’ key contributors on the edge are signed to be back in 2021 and the combination of depth, youth, and upside makes this group one of the most promising in the league as they will be terrorizing backfields for years to come.
RAIDERS EDGE OUTLOOK: A
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