Las Vegas Raiders: 5 players who need to step up in 2020
Clelin Ferrell
Fair or not, there were high expectations for Clelin Ferrell heading into last season. He was the number four overall pick who was supposed to help fill the massive void Khalil Mack left behind. However, the number four overall pick failed to live up to those extremely high standards.
Ferrell struggled as a pass rusher the majority of the year, finishing with a mere 26 total pressures and one of the lowest pass rush win rates in his the draft class, per Pro Football Focus. In a pass-happy league, getting after the quarterback is of the utmost importance and the Raiders need more out of their first-round pick moving forward. However, there is reason for optimism as he did pick things up towards the end of the season.
The Clemson product strung together three and a half sacks and six QB hits in the final eight games of the season. He also posted some impressive PFF grades down the stretch, highlighted by his performance against the Jaguars where he earned an elite grade of 90.8.
If Ferrell can keep this trend going in 2020, then the combination of him, Maxx Crosby, Maurice Hurst, and Maliek Collins could form one of the best young defensive lines in the league.