Getty Clelin Ferrell with Las Vegas Raiders teammate.
The Las Vegas Raiders decided to make a change at general manager this offseason with the firing of Mike Mayock but that wasn’t before he had a number of high-profile whiffs in the draft. The first draft pick Mayock made after getting hired was defensive end Clelin Ferrell with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. At the time, it was considered a huge reach.
Three seasons later and the pick only looks worse. Ferrell has 8.0 sacks through 42 career games and lost his starting spot to Yannick Ngakoue this season. The Raiders have decided if they want to pick up his fifth-year option this offseason but that seems unlikely. In fact, it’s possible he’s not on the team once the season starts now that Dave Ziegler has taken over as general manager.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler believes that Ferrell could be an “under-the-radar” trade candidate this offseason:
It’s doubtful the Raiders pick up Ferrell’s fifth-year option after three years of underwhelming play in relation to his draft status (No. 4 overall pick in 2019). It’s not like Ferrell doesn’t have ability. He has produced eight sacks and 24 quarterback hits since entering the league. But a new home might help him shake the expectations that went with the high draft pick. The Raiders are set at defensive end with Yannick Ngakoue and Maxx Crosby, whom they must pay this offseason.
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What Could Raiders Get in Trade Ferrell?
While Ferrell will always carry the label of being the No. 4 overall pick in the draft, not many teams valued him that highly coming into the NFL. The Raiders actually tried to trade down so they could take him later in the 2019 draft. Ferrell would’ve likely been a first-round pick but odds are he would have been taken much later.
If Las Vegas can trade him for something, they’ll likely do it. However, his value is likely very low. We can look at former top-five pick defensive linemen who disappointed in the NFL like Dion Jordan and Solomon Thomas. Neither of those players were traded and eventually changed teams in free agency.
The five highest-graded Raiders from Week 14:
1. Clelin Ferrell – 90.8
2. Casey Hayward – 79.9
3. Jonathan Hankins – 78.3
4. Andre James – 73.2
5. Brandon Facyson – 70.8
Should the Raiders Just Keep Ferrell for 1 More Season?
Unless the Raiders can get at least a fourth-round pick in a trade for Ferrell, there really isn’t any reason to trade him. He’s not going to be the impact defensive end they’d hope he would be when he was first drafted but he’s a decent run defender. He also stayed healthy all season, which is good for depth purposes.
The Raiders are fortunate to have two great young defensive ends in Maxx Crosby and Ngakoue. Those two could be holding those positions for a long time. Las Vegas will need depth behind those two and Ferrell isn’t the worst defensive end in the world. Keeping him for one more season and letting him play out his contract will likely be what the Raiders decide to do.
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