The Las Vegas Raiders made headlines with their decision to use the first of their three first-round picks in the 2019 NFL Draft on defensive end Clelin Ferrell.
Although Ferrell had been one of the top defensive prospects in his class, the decision to take him at No. 4 overall was seen as a bit of a reach at the time. Unfortunately, he struggled to prove the doubters wrong following an underwhelming rookie season.
Head coach Jon Gruden has acknowledged that the Raiders needed to do a better job of playing to Ferrell’s strengths. Regardless, the second-year man out of Clemson is doing what he can to show what he is capable of.
It has been an unprecedented offseason with the relocation to Las Vegas and the restrictions placed in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. However, Ferrell is still optimistic for a big jump in Year 2, via Kyle Martin of the team’s official website:
“I feel like, for me, I just go back and I always set goals for the offseason, and I set goals for the year,” Ferrell explained to reporters Thursday. “My goal for the year kind of drives my goal for the offseason, and that’s to always focus on winning the Super Bowl. So, I feel like, in order for us to do that, I have to be ready to do what’s asked of me. For me, [I want] to be a cornerstone in this organization and I’m a guy that plays up and down the defensive line. I had to put on a lot of weight and gain a lot of knowledge through the offseason in order to do that.”
Ferrell added that he is looking forward to getting to work with new defensive line coach Rod Marinelli:
“First off, I thank God for putting great people in my life and just the opportunity to learn from someone who’s considered a legend in the game,” he said. “[Marinelli] doesn’t carry himself that way, he still carries himself like he’s a young coach dying to make an impact on the league. It’s been truly, truly great.
“I really love his teaching because he understands and appreciates that football isn’t a scientific thing. It’s a game we love to play and you just have to go out there and play hard and play with a disposition. So, I love him, for sure.”
Marinelli worked with his fair share of prolific pass rushers during his time with the Dallas Cowboys. Ferrell is now hoping his arrival can help pay huge dividends for his development.
The Raiders are confident that their edge tandem of Ferrell and Maxx Crosby will serve as foundational pieces for years to come. Meanwhile, the veteran presence of Marinelli and defensive tackle Maliek Collins should also serve as a stabilizing factor up front in the 2020 NFL season.
Of course, the onus will ultimately fall on Ferrell to show that he was always as good as advertised.
