Clelin Ferrell had quite the interesting rookie season. He was one of the most shocking selections of the draft as he was picked at No. 4 by the Oakland Raiders. Then, he was out-produced by fouth-round pick Maxx Crosby and struggled to find his rythmn in the defense.
However, Ferrell is off to a strong start this season as he was the team’s highest-graded defender in Week 1. Ferrell didn’t record a sack or a pressure, but he was a dominant force in the run game. He finished the game with a grade of 73.8, according to Pro Football Focus.
Clelin Ferrell's 73.8 grade on Sunday led all #Raiders defensive players ☠️#RaiderNation pic.twitter.com/dTcBXE4DD9
— PFF Las Vegas Raiders (@PFF_Raiders) September 18, 2020
The Raiders continue to find ways to get Ferrell involved on defense, including moving him inside to defensive tackle in certain passing down situations. Ferrell has reshaped his body in Year 2 to hold up better against the run and bigger offensive linemen.
While the sack haven’t come yet, he is still a highly useful player for the Raiders. The team will need him to dominate in that area once again if they want to slow down the Saints’ rushing attack.
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