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Oakland Raiders top-5 offseason moves that will be big contributors in 2019

By Nicholas Cothrel

OAKLAND, CA - OCTOBER 28: Head coach Jon Gruden of the Oakland Raiders reacts after a Derek Carr #4 one-yard touchdown against the Indianapolis Colts during their NFL game at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on October 28, 2018 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Robert Reiners/Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CA - OCTOBER 28: Head coach Jon Gruden of the Oakland Raiders reacts after a Derek Carr #4 one-yard touchdown against the Indianapolis Colts during their NFL game at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on October 28, 2018 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Robert Reiners/Getty Images) /
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CHARLOTTE, NC – DECEMBER 01: Clelin Ferrell #99 of the Clemson Tigers reacts after making a tackle for a loss against the Pittsburgh Panthers during the first quarter of their game at Bank of America Stadium on December 1, 2018 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
CHARLOTTE, NC – DECEMBER 01: Clelin Ferrell #99 of the Clemson Tigers reacts after making a tackle for a loss against the Pittsburgh Panthers during the first quarter of their game at Bank of America Stadium on December 1, 2018 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /

2. Clelin Ferrell

The Raiders biggest need this offseason was adding pass rushers to the roster. They didn’t have much luck signing premiere pass rushers in free-agency, but they did get Clelin Ferrell with the No.4 overall pick.

Ferrell comes out of Clemson, where he won the 2018 ACC defensive player of the year. Many were critical by the selection of Ferrell at No.4, but if you take a look at his resumé, he checks every box. Ferrell impacts both the run game and the pass game at a very high level. He’s a team leader, and produced on college football’s highest stage. What else can you ask for in highly touted prospect?

The Raiders totaled just 13 sacks last season, which ranks last in the NFL. With the addition of Ferrell, the Raiders are looking for a spark plug to ignite the defensive line, in order to get more pressure on the quarterback. In Ferrell’s last season in college, he recorded 11.5 sacks in the ACC. His high effort that he plays with and ability to set the edge projects as a quality defensive end in the NFL.

With lacking talent on the defensive line, drafting Ferrell was a move the Raiders had to make. Only time will tell what kind of value they’ll get from the 2018 consensus All-American, but his makeup appears to be just what the Raiders needed.

Look for Ferrell to lead the defensive line group just as he did at Clemson. Ferrell is a guy who leads in the locker room, and by example with his ability on the field.

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