Oakland Raiders: Is it too soon to worry about Clelin Ferrell?
By Justin Fried
Oakland Raiders defensive end Clelin Ferrell has gotten off to a slow start in his first NFL season. Is it too soon to be concerned about the team’s first-round pick?
The Oakland Raiders have surpassed most people’s expectations this season following a 3-2 record going into their bye week. But one individual who hasn’t exactly done the same is rookie first-round pick Clelin Ferrell.
While the Raiders have seen players like Darren Waller, Kolton Miller, and Benson Mayowa vastly exceed expectations, the same can’t be said for Ferrell. The rookie has just one sack to his name this year and has been almost invisible since Week 1.
Meanwhile Mayowa, a career journeyman, has surpassed any and all expectations entering the bye week with a team-leading 4.5 sacks. On top of that, fellow rookie Maxx Crosby has looked like a blossoming star outperforming Ferrell in the process.
In fact, Ferrell’s performance has been so poor that Pro Football Focus has him ranked 99th out of 102 eligible edge rushers. His pass rush has been lackluster but his poor run defense has been even more surprising.
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General manager Mike Mayock referred to Clelin Ferrell and San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa as the top two edge rushers in the entire class. And even though Ferrell was considered a reach at the time, he did seem to have a relatively high floor as a prospect.
Ferrell was a well-rounded edge defender who despite not being the twitchiest athlete was a superb run defender and made his living as a solid power-rusher. Unfortunately, we’ve yet to really see any of that through five weeks.
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The Raiders also loved Ferrell’s leadership and high-character qualities that made him a team captain and leader during his time at Clemson. They also felt that he was a better fit as a true 4-3 defensive end as opposed to other, perhaps better overall pass rushers.
Raiders fans have seen both Josh Allen and Brian Burns tear it up this season for the Jacksonville Jaguars and Carolina Panthers respectively.
Allen has three sacks in his last three games while Burns has recorded at least a half-sack in each of his last four games and could be a front-runner for Defensive Rookie of the Year.
Neither Allen or Burns would have been a great fit in Oakland’s 4-3 defensive scheme as both are better suited as 3-4 outside linebackers. But that hasn’t quieted the criticisms from Raider Nation.
Is it too early to declare Ferrell a bust? Absolutely.
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Oftentimes with rookies, it’s important to be patient as it could take some time to adjust to the NFL game. That said, his start is certainly very concerning.
Ferrell was supposed to be an NFL-ready prospect who may not have had as high of a ceiling as players like Bosa, Allen, and Burns, but his high-floor made him a surefire first-round prospect. Maybe not top-five, but likely top-20.
For that reason, it’s even more concerning to see Ferrell struggle early on. Khalil Mack didn’t record a sack until Week 11 of his rookie season. But Mack was seen as a player who needed more time to develop.
As for Ferrell, he was expected to be a pro-ready NFL contributor from Week 1, and we just haven’t seen that.
It’s far too early to write him off just yet, but it certainly isn’t too early to be concerned. Raiders fans were hoping for much more from Clelin Ferrell in his rookie season.
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And unfortunately, despite the team exceeded expectations, he’s failed to meet his.