Grading the Las Vegas Raiders last 5 top-10 draft picks
2019: Clelin Ferrell, Clemson, 4th overall
The 2019 draft was supposed to change the fortunes of the Raiders franchise, as the team held three first-round picks. Those picks came about thanks to trading away key pieces like Khalil Mack and Amari Cooper, two players we will go into more detail about later on in the article.
Clelin Ferrell from Clemson was the first selection by Mayock that night, as the team shocked the NFL landscape by selecting Ferrell at pick No. 4 overall. Many considered Ferrell a first-round talent, but nowhere near a top-5 pick, so the pick definitely sent shockwaves through Raider Nation.
To make matters worse, a higher-rated edge rusher was still on the board in Josh Allen, who was ranked No. 2 at the position behind Nick Bosa. Players like Devin White and Ed Oliver were also seen as top-5 talents that could have improved the Raiders' defense in a big way, so picking Ferrell at No. 4 was seen as quite the reach.
In the end, Ferrell never lived up to his top-5 status, playing solid football at times, but being more of a rotational edge rusher for the Silver and Black. He mustered only ten sacks in four seasons with the team and has since gone on to sign with the San Francisco 49ers.
Grade: D-