Looking back at the Raiders Top-5 NFL Draft misses of all time

Pittsburgh Steelers vs Oakland Raiders - October 29, 2006
Pittsburgh Steelers vs Oakland Raiders - October 29, 2006 / Robert B. Stanton/GettyImages
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Raiders DE Clelin Ferrell
San Francisco 49ers v Las Vegas Raiders / Chris Unger/GettyImages

Looking back at the Raiders Top-5 NFL Draft misses of all time

3. DE Clelin Ferrell - 4th Overall in 2019

Defensive end Clelin Ferrell will go down as the most recent draft bust everyone points to in the same vein as the number one selection on this list. The Raiders were fresh off of trading All-Galaxy LB Khalil Mack away, so the team was looking for that next guy to take over and turn the page on a decision that still haunts Raider Nation.

Coming out of Clemson, he was part of one of the more dominant defensive lines college had seen in a while. He was part of a three headed monster that included DT Christian Wilkins who was taken 13th overall by the Dolphins and DT Dexter Lawrence who was taken 17th overall by the Giants.

The funny thing about Ferrell's career with the Raiders is that it wasn't devastatingly short like other players on this list. As a first round pick, his four year contract came with a 5th year option that the Raiders had a choice to pick up or not. Plain and simple, they didn't. Ferrell's four years with the Raiders was all about hoping he was going to evolve into what everyone expected out of him. He finished with 105 total tackles and 10 total sacks over a span of 58 games played.

The player drafted directly after Ferrell was LSU linebacker Devin White who was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at 5th overall. White went on to win a Super Bowl with Tampa Bay and is widely regarded as the poster child for the "new age" linebacker who can play sideline to sideline. Something the Raiders have so desperately needed for a long time.