If you were to just look at the box score or the season-long stats, it would appear that Clelin Ferrell of the Las Vegas Raiders has disappointed through the team’s first five games. He has yet to record a sack or a tackle for a loss this season. But that is why box scores and season-long counting stats can lie.
Ferrell’s performance in Week 5 was a perfect example of a defensive lineman dominating without recording a meaningful stat. The former No. 4 pick tallied a career-high nine pressures and finished as Pro Football Focus’ third-highest graded edge defender of the week.
Highest-graded edge defenders in Wk 5 ahead of MNF:
1. Demarcus Lawrence – 94.9
2. Aldon Smith – 92.1
3. Clelin Ferrell – 86.7
4. Pernell McPhee – 81.3 pic.twitter.com/ln8QV9MQU0— PFF (@PFF) October 12, 2020
Ferrell is currently the site’s ninth-highest graded edge defender of the season despite not recording a sack. He’s been a dominant run defender and is starting to find ways to affect the quarterback. If he can start to turn pressures into sacks or quarterback hits, Ferrell could quickly become known as one of the better defensive ends in the NFL.
The Raiders have to be thrilled with the type of play they have gotten out of Ferrell and Maxx Crosby over the last month. They will need these two edge defenders to continue to grow and dominate if they want to compete with the top teams in the AFC this season.
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