We are approaching the two-year anniversary of the 2019 NFL draft, where the Raiders had three picks in the first round. Their first pick came at No. 4 and they made the first surprise selection of the draft, going with Clelin Ferrell from Clemson.
Ferrell has been just an average player in the NFL and that certainly wasn’t what the team wanted with the No. 4 pick. If given the choice of re-doing that pick, where do you think the Raiders would go?
In a recent article by Alex Kay, he did a redraft of the entire 2019 NFL draft. At No. 4, he gave the Raiders edge rusher Montez Sweat, who was picked by the Washington Football Team late in the first round. Here is a snippet of his thoughts on the new pick for the Raiders:
“Given his versatility—Sweat can rush the passer, play in coverage and stuff the run at a high level—the Raiders would be getting a do-it-all edge defender who represents a big upgrade over their original selection, Clelin Ferrell.
Ferrell was a bit of a reach two years ago and hasn’t exactly warranted such a high selection since, struggling to perform consistently and appearing in just 26 games.”
Over the last two seasons, Sweat has totaled 16 sacks and 33 quarterback hits for Washington. He’s developed into one of the best pass rushers in the NFL as well as an above-average run defender.
There is still hope for Ferrell, but it’s pretty clear that Sweat is just the more talented player. If given the chance, the Raiders would certainly swap Ferrell for Sweat in a heartbeat.
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