5 keys to success for the Las Vegas Raiders 2020 season
By Brad Weiss
5 keys to success for the Las Vegas Raiders 2020 season
Improvement from Clelin Ferrell
Mike Mayock made Clemson edge rusher Clelin Ferrell his first-ever draft pick back in 2019, when he selected the All-American with the No. 4 overall pick. A bit of a head-scratcher at the time, as Kentucky’s Josh Allen was considered the second-best edge in the draft behind Nick Bosa, but Ferrell did have an impressive college resume.
The rookie struggled to get going from the outset, as he played out of position, and then got sick and lost a ton of weight. He rebounded to finish out his rookie season strongly, and heading into Year No. 2, his improvement and development is going to be key if this team is going to get the kind of pass rush it needs to compete in the AFC.
Fellow rookie Maxx Crosby had ten sacks as a rookie, so we know the kind of production the team can get from him. Both Crosby and Ferrell spent the offseason bulking up, both coming into camp at 275, and Ferrell, as he said he would, looks like a completely different player. That will be key for the Raiders in 2020.
Free agent Carl Nassib has looked like a bad signing thus far, but the team is getting better results from Arden Key. However, it has to be the Ferrell and Crosby show if this team is going to get to the quarterback.