Bounce-Back Candidate: Clelin Ferrell

The Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Clein Ferell will be entering a pivotal third season as he still looks to put up big sack numbers.

Teams across the NFL have players who will be looking to rebound from sub-par seasons, and the Las Vegas Raiders are no exception.

The Silver and Black have several players who are looking to re-solidify themselves after struggling in 2020.

It surprised many when the Raiders took defensive end Clelin Ferrell with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. 

The pressure was on Ferrell from the start to prove that the Raiders were right in going against conventional wisdom by taking him that high. 

Ferrell hasn't played badly since then, although the sack numbers haven't been there for the former Clemson standout. 

In only 11 games played last season, Ferrell put up only two sacks and three tackles for losses.

In examining a Raiders defense in need of a better pass rush, it's easy to look at Ferrell's numbers and say that he's already showing the signs of becoming a bust.

Look deeper, though, and you'll see that there are indications that a breakout could eventually come for Ferrell. 

While he had 2.5 fewer sacks in 2020 than he did in 2019 (4.5), he actually had more quarterback pressures (21) as compared to 2019 (15). 

Looking at Pro Football Focus gives an even greater indication, as they ranked Ferrell in 2020 as the 16th best edge defender in the league. 

Ferrell was nearly in the top-10 when it came to run defense and still ranked a respectable 33rd out of 99 in pass rushing. 

With new additions like Yannick Ngakoue to the Raiders defensive line, Ferrell might now be in the position he's been looking for to deliver a big-time season. 

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