2019 NFL Draft: Oakland Raiders select Clelin Ferrell at No. 4 overall
The Oakland Raiders had the first real shocking pick of the first round on Thursday night, selecting Clemson edge rusher Clelin Ferrell.
The Oakland Raiders enter this 2019 NFL Draft with almost every single eye in the football media on them. Jon Gruden made a lot of moves to gain four picks in the top 35 and with the hire of Mike Mayock as General Manager the pressure to hit on these picks is at an all-time high.
And the party started early with their first pick at number four overall.
The speculation about what the team would with their first has been one of the most heavily discussed topics leading up to the draft. So many outcomes were theorized, and with Gruden at the helm, none of them sounded that outlandish.
And they did not disappoint with the rumors of a surprise pick by choosing to select Clelin Ferrell from Clemson. The pick was a shock because Kentucky edge rusher Josh Allen was still on the board, and he was viewed as a top-10 pick.
At the beginning of the 2018 college football season, I’m not sure anyone would have been surprised by this pick. And honestly, Ferrell did nothing on field in 2018 to lower his draft stock. He finished the season with 11.5 sacks and 20 tackles for loss which helped him win ACC defensive player of the year.
Next. Oakland Raiders 7-round 2019 NFL mock draft. dark
He is a different style of defensive end that wins more with his size and strength than pure burst and bend off the edge but he has a high floor and should be able to produce from day one