Dec 7, 2014; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders outside linebacker Khalil Mack (52) and defensive end Benson Mayowa (95) bring down San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) during the fourth quarter at O.co Coliseum. The Oakland Raiders defeated the San Francisco 49ers 24-13. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Oakland Raiders rookie linebacker Khalil Mack may only be an alternate for the Pro Bowl after getting snubbed, but Pro Football Focus has shown the outside linebacker love all season in recognizing him as one of the best defensive players in the league on tape. While Mack has only just started to compile sacks in his stat sheet, his work against the run and his dominance against opposing tackles has earned him league wide respect as well as high PFF grades on a weekly basis in his rookie season.
Because of that PFF has scored Mack as one of the best outside linebackers this season, giving him the best grade against the run as well as the best overall grade with just one game left in the 2014 season. With a grade that is 6.2 higher than the next player, it is safe to say that Mack will go down as the best in his position category come the end of the year.
From Raiders.com
"According to Pro Football Focus, Mack is the highest rated 4-3 outside linebacker both overall and in run defense.Cumulative rating for all 3-4 outside linebackers (Pro Football Focus):Rank Player PFF Overall Rating"
| Rank | Player | Overall Ranking | Run Defense Rating |
| 1. | Khalil Mack | 56.2 | 47.5 |
| 2. | Von Miller | 50.3 | 19.2 |
| 3. | DeAndre Levy | 23.1 | 18.8 |
| 4. | Thomas Davis | 19.8 | 0.9 |
| 5. | Brandon M. Marshall | 18.9 | 4.2 |
Mack’s play this season has been one of the brightest spots in a season that just only started giving Raiders fans something to cheer about with three straight home victories to close the year. In all three of those games Mack’s presence against the run and pass rushing abilities were keys to the win, something that Raiders fans can bank on happening for a long time as the talents of their 2014 rookie should be the key to a franchise turnaround in the coming years.