There have been moments in the career of Clelin Ferrell where he has looked like he’s ready to become a star. A Thursday Night Football game against the Chargers was one of those games as he created pressure after pressure.
But more often than not, he’s been a role player and he’s now seen his role shrink in the past two seasons. Entering the final year of his rookie contract, can he finally break out and show he belongs in the starting lineup?
In a recent article by Ian Wharton of Bleacher Report, he named a few players that could break out during the 2022 season. One of those players was none other than Ferrell. Here is a snippet of what he had to say about the former No. 4 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft:
“A new coaching staff can go a long way. New head coach Josh McDaniels has made it a point to say that Ferrell has a “clean slate.” It’ll also help if new defensive coordinator Patrick Graham uses Ferrell as more than a base defensive end like Gus Bradley did.
Ferrell is less of a bendy, athletic edge and more of a run-defending undersized tackle or 3-4 end. He’s strong at the point of attack and quite good at winning with leverage. His playstyle won’t produce more than a handful of sacks a year, but he can be an early-down run stopper with some pass-rush upside in a platoon.”
If Ferrell does break out in 2022, it will be interesting to see what position he plays in Patrick Graham’s defense. He’s probably too big to play as a stand-up 3-4 outside linebacker, which likely means he’ll have to play inside as a 3-4 defensive (or five-technique). That might be a better spot for him with his length and power anyway.
Ferrell is scheduled to hit free agency in 2023 and he’ll want to put some good play on tape for all 32 teams to see this offseason. Will this be the year it finally happens for him? We will find out very soon.