Las Vegas Raiders DE Clelin Ferrell will play like a top-5 pick in 2020

OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 07: Clelin Ferrell #96 of the Oakland Raiders celebrates after sacking quarterback Philip Rivers #17 of the Los Angeles Chargers in the fourth quarter at RingCentral Coliseum on November 07, 2019 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 07: Clelin Ferrell #96 of the Oakland Raiders celebrates after sacking quarterback Philip Rivers #17 of the Los Angeles Chargers in the fourth quarter at RingCentral Coliseum on November 07, 2019 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images) /
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Raiders edge rusher Clelin Ferrell (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
Raiders edge rusher Clelin Ferrell (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /

The Raiders drafted Clelin Ferrell with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2019 Draft, and he will play up to his draft slot in 2020.

The then-Oakland Raiders shocked some people early in the 2019 NFL Draft, as they bypassed Josh Allen from Kentucky to select Clelin Ferrell from Clemson. Allen was seen as the consensus No. 2 edge rusher in the class behind Nick Bosa, who was selected first overall by the San Francisco 49ers.

To make matters worse, Ferrell had a rough start to his rookie season, as he was asked to play out of position, and a sickness robbed him of weight. Still, he rebounded to close out his first campaign with some solid play late in the season, and will be expected to be a cornerstone along the defensive line for years to come.

Fellow rookie Maxx Crosby was the one who played like a No. 4 overall pick in 2019, racking up ten sacks from his defensive end position. In one game alone, Crosby got to the quarterback four times, as he dominated the Cincinnati Bengals offensive line all game long.

As we turn the page to the 2020 NFL season, a lot is going to be expected of Ferrell, and the expectation is that he will play like a top-5 pick.