While No. 4 overall pick Clelin Ferrell didn’t quite have the success rushing the passer as many had hoped, he actually developed into one of the team’s best run defenders. By the end of the 2019 season, no player on the Raiders’ defensive line was more stout against the run than Ferrell.
In a recent article by Pro Football Focus, the site mentioned how stellar he was as a run defender, especially in the second half of the season:
Ferrell came on strong in the run game down the stretch with run-defense grades of 65.0-plus in each of his last six outings. As a pass-rusher, though, Ferrell didn’t have a single game with more than three pressures or a 70.0-plus grade.
With Ferrell’s ability to hold up in the run game, there is really no reason the Raiders need to ever take him off the field. He’s still developing as a pass rusher, but that improved in the second half of the season as well.
While the rookie season didn’t go exactly as many people planned, there are certainly still reasons to be encouraged about Ferrell going forward.
