It appears that defensive end Clelin Ferrell didn’t perform well enough in the preseason to secure a starting spot on the Las Vegas Raiders’ defense moving forward. According to the team’s defensive coordinator Gus Bradley, Ferrell, who was the Raiders’ fourth overall pick two years ago, will enter the 2021 season as a backup.
Raiders had free-season acquisition Yannick Ngakoue and third-year player Maxx Crosby getting reps at defensive end with the first team since the training camp started. Ferrell and veteran Carl Nassib have played with the second team and will continue to serve in that role in the regular season.
“So, we’re trying to develop that second-tier rush group; the guys that can come in and keep the first group fresh,” Bradley told reporters earlier this week. “And kind of make it where they all have a role, they all feel like they’re part of it. That’s where we’re at now; seeing who’s the best matchup, who’s that second group that can come in and provide that rush that we need.”
The move indicates Raiders came to terms with the fact that selecting Ferrell wasn’t the best decision they could make in the 2019 NFL Draft.
Clelin Ferrell had a great college career with Clemson, but there were questions about his athleticism and whether his game will translate to NFL. This is why most draft projections had Ferrell going in the mid or late-first round.
Raiders decided to take a gamble despite this, and it didn’t turn out to be the best decision. Since coming in the NFL, Ferrell only had 6.5 sacks and 65 tackles.
