Nassib has always defied the odds
It is not as if Nassib was a highly recruited player when he landed at Penn State. In fact, Nassib walked on to the Nittany Lions program, and before all was said and done, he was a consensus All-American due to his incredible physical ability, and his drive to be the absolute best.
Not only was Nassib an All-American, but he won the Nagurski-Woodson Award, given to the best defensive player in the Big Ten, and the Hendricks Award, given to College Football’s top defensive end. Hendricks was a star for the Raiders during his NFL career, while Woodson is considered one of the best defensive backs in team history.
For the Raiders, Nassib will look to have the kind of production he has had over the last two seasons, where he has racked up at least six sacks despite starting less than half his team’s games. Like Crosby, he has a knack for getting in there and making plays whenever he steps on the field, and if the Raiders can get six sacks out of him, that is definitely a win.
Ferrell and Crosby taking another step forward is absolutely crucial to the Raiders success in 2020, but there is also pressure on Nassib to step up as well. Key has not been healthy enough to succeed at the NFL since being drafted in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft, so Nassib will enter camp as the first option off the bench.