After landing Kolton Miller in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft, the Oakland and Las Vegas Raiders went on an unbelievable cold streak. Between 2019 and 2023, the team squandered six of its seven Day 1 selections, and one could even argue that the lone exception wasn't really a successful pick.
Players like Johnathan Abram, Alex Leatherwood and Henry Ruggs III are out of the NFL altogether, Damon Arnette is hanging on by a thread, Tyree Wilson was traded this offseason and Josh Jacobs is still playing well for the Green Bay Packers but is embroiled in some serious legal trouble.
Oh, and there is Clelin Ferrell, who did not live up to his draft expectations as the No. 4 overall pick in 2019, but has quietly carved out a solid career. He is still a major bust when comparing where he was selected and what he produced for the Silver and Black, but Ferrell is still contributing on NFL rosters.
And now he's on a collision course with the Raiders in Week 1.
Clelin Ferrell signs with Dolphins, could play Raiders in Week 1
The Miami Dolphins announced on Monday that they were waiving defensive lineman Khalil Saunders, and in a corresponding move, they were signing Clelin Ferrell. This will be the fifth different franchise that Ferrell has played for heading into his eighth NFL season.
Las Vegas, of course, hosts Miami in Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season at Allegiant Stadium. Should Ferrell make the Dolphins' 53-man team, and that shouldn't be too tough after the new leadership gutted the roster this offseason, then the Raiders' 2019 first-rounder would be back in Sin City.
This would mark not only the first time that Ferrell has played in Las Vegas as the visitor, but the first time that he has played the Raiders at all since not getting re-signed following the 2022 season. Surely, he'd have revenge on his mind, even though hardly anyone is left from his time with the team.
Ferrell has made stops with the San Francisco 49ers (twice), Washington Commanders and Los Angeles Chargers since leaving the Raiders, making 40 appearances and 27 starts in three seasons. Considering the stigma that was around him after leaving Las Vegas, Ferrell has fared just fine.
He has also totaled 11.0 sacks, 79 tackles, including 14 for a loss, 27 quarterback hits, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and a pass defended in that span. That is, by all means, solid NFL production, but Ferrell's career has been tainted by the fact that he was the No. 4 overall pick.
It wasn't Ferrell's fault that Jon Gruden and Mike Mayock had to be the smartest people in the room and drafted him almost a whole round earlier than most people thought. But the expectations that come with being such a high selectin are hard to escape, and Ferrell has been a victim of that.
Remove him being overdrafted by the incompetent Raiders, though, and Ferrell has enjoyed a nice NFL career. He has always been a solid run defender who sets the edge well, and he can be a supporting member of a solid pass rush. That's good enough for most teams.
Now, if Ferrell can stick around in Miami until Week 1, he will have the chance to prove to the franchise that drafted him that they gave up on him too quickly.
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