Clelin Ferrell fell below the expectations of a number four overall pick in his rookie season, but he can only improve from here on out. Look for him to make a leap in his sophomore season with the Las Vegas Raiders.
Clelin Ferell hearing his name called fourth overall in the 2019 NFL Draft certainly turned heads from analysts and fans of the Silver and Black alike. The Las Vegas Raiders were adamant that they drafted the prospect they wanted at number four in Ferrell, but at the moment the selection seemed to be a stretch. They could have opted to trade down or wait till later in the first round.
Regardless, drafting Ferrell fourth overall with the intention of him being an impact pass rusher likely placed lofty expectations on his shoulders, and it's no exaggeration to say he fell short of those expectations in his rookie season.
At the end of year one, Clelin Ferrell played in 15 games for the Raiders, starting in seven of those. He registered 4.5 sacks, 24 solo tackles, and went without a forced fumble. Of those 4.5 sacks, 2.5 of those came in Week 10 against the Los Angeles Chargers (against an albeit makeshift offensive line).
Still, it's better to have started shaky and to improve once the season goes on, and that's what happened for Ferrell. After some rookie growing pains to start the season, Ferrell dealt with a concussion and an illness by Week 6 that caused him to lose 15 pounds. Once Ferrell returned, he not only had to get back to playing in Paul Guenther's system but had to get back into playing shape as well.
Once Ferrell returned and the Raiders amazingly kept the hopes of a playoff berth alive, the number four overall pick showed flashes of improvement, registering six tackles for a loss in the second half of the season, and particularly showing growth in the stopping the run.
The caveat there: the Raiders didn't draft Ferrell fourth overall to be elite at stopping the run. He must improve as a pass rusher, and expect him to make a leap in that area in Vegas.
The promising example to instill belief in Clelin Ferrell making a sophomore leap is by looking at his fellow teammate on the offensive line. Kolton Miller was taken in the first round in 2018, and despite playing and starting in all 16 games, he left much to be desired due to injuries and rookie growing pains.
After taking what he learned in year one, then getting stronger in the offseason, Miller improved in his sophomore season to become a vital piece of the offensive line. He decreased his penalties from eight to three, including just one false start in 2019 after recording four the year before. He was instrumental alongside Trent Brown in holding the duo of Von Miller and Bradley Chubb to zero sacks against the Denver Broncos in Week 1 of last season.
Is Clelin Ferrell due for a jump to become an elite pass rusher in year two? That type of jump may be premature, but it isn't far fetched to assume he can make a leap in the right direction.
Ferell has plenty going for him once the team arrives in Las Vegas. Among them is a year in Guenther's system under his belt, with the added benefit of an offseason to get stronger and to prepare for (what will now be) a 17-game season.
The addition of Rod Marinelli should bode well for the development of the young guys like Ferrell and Maxx Crosby as well. Ferrell's hand technique and usage should see a drastic improvement, and that, in turn, will translate into the sack totals.
Speaking of Crosby, he and Ferrell performed well as a duo, really playing off each other especially in that Week 10 Chargers matchup. With Crosby even more motivated to capitalize on his breakout rookie year, that same motor will translate to Ferrell, whom some are foolish to write off as "bust" already.
Year two needs to be about showing improvement as a pass rusher. Will he magically record the numbers of an elite pass rusher? Maybe not just yet, but perhaps he doesn't need to with Crosby alongside him. Instead, look for Marinelli to help Clelin Ferrell with his technique, and by season's end, we'll see an improved Clelin Ferrell from year one to year two.