Las Vegas Raiders Season Review: Clelin Ferrell

When looking at the upward trajectory the Las Vegas Raiders now find themselves on, it can be surprising they've done it despite several first-round misses in the NFL Draft the last few seasons.

While they've hit on lower-round picks like wide receiver Hunter Renfrow and cornerback Nate Hobbs, several top draft picks have flamed out.

One of those potential misses is defensive end Clelin Ferrell, the former fourth overall selection in 2019 who was considered to be a surprise by a number of analysts.

It isn't Ferrell's fault he was taken much sooner than expected, but his play hasn't lived up to what the Raiders could have ever expected.

He's had the opportunity to do so, starting every game he played in 2019 and 2020, playing at least 64 percent of the team's defensive snaps.

Ferrell was even rated highly by sites like Pro Football Focus in 2020, largely on the strength of good run defense metrics.

Even so, he hasn't shown to be a great threat rushing the passer, accumulating only eight sacks in his first three seasons.

It was such that the Raiders signed former Pro Bowler Yannick Ngakoue last offseason as a new starter, which pushed Ferrell to the bench.

Ferrell was active for 16 games in 2021 but never made a start, seeing his playing time reduced heavily.

It led to career-low numbers and a huge fall-off in his metrics, framing him as a below-replacement level player.

Ferrell is likely better than that, but the Raiders don't have the time to see if he makes a significant jump.

They showed that by replacing Ngakoue with an even more decorated pass rusher this off-season, Chandler Jones.

Barring injuries, Ferrell should once again find himself in a reserve/rotational role this upcoming season, but that doesn't mean he can't find a second lease on life for his NFL career.

With a new regime in charge of the Silver and Black, it gives Ferrell the opportunity for a fresh start and the chance to show he can be a contributor to a new scheme.

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