After missing back-to-back practices to open up the week, there are some concerns that starting defensive tackle Maliek Collins will miss the team’s Week 5 contest against the Kansas City Chiefs. That is a big problem as Maurice Hurst was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list early this week.
The Raiders are awfully thin at defensive tackle and with the new precautions about bringing in players for workouts, the team may have to rely on other players on their current roster to fill that spot.
One potential candidate is defensive end Clelin Ferrell, who has seen time inside over the past two seasons. At his most recent press availability, defensive coordinator Paul Guenther hinted that the team could opt to use someone like Ferrell at defensive tackle for this contest. While the former No. 4 pick hasn’t registered a sack yet this season, he has been an effective player in the run game.
Given his quickness and length, he appears to be the most likely candidate to play inside in Week 5. Listed at 6’4, 265 pounds, Ferrell is severely undersized for the position. However, Ferrell added weight this offseason in preparation for this possibility. According to a few reports, Ferrell weight in at 275 pounds this offseason and is likely closer to that number than his pre-draft weight.
While Ferrell hasn’t always looked at home at three-technique, one of the things the Raiders loved about him pre-draft was his ability to put the team first in any and all situations. Ferrell has never been a “stats” player, but he does the job that is asked of him.
The Raiders are going to be asking a lot of him this week. However, don’t be surprised if Ferrell handles himself well at defensive tackle against arguably the best team in the NFL.
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