Things just aren’t working out the way the Raiders hoped when they selected Clelin Ferrell with the No. 4 pick in the 2019 NFL draft. He’s always been a solid run defender, but he’s now losing snaps to other players due to his lack of a pass rush.
Ferrell has played just 62 snaps this season and was a healthy scratch in Week 1. He’s certainly not living up to his first-round status, let alone top-five pick. It seems inevitable that a breakup is coming, potentially as soon as this year.
In a recent article by Bleacher Report, they named the top trade candidates heading into the deadline here in a few weeks. Ferrell’s name was mentioned, as a player who could be dealt in the next few weeks. Here is what they had to say about the third-year defensive end from Clemson:
“Trading 2019 fourth overall pick Clelin Ferrell could net the Raiders a rotational player they’ll actually use. Ferrell has played only 18 percent of defensive snaps this season after starting 26 games in his first two years.
While Las Vegas seems to have soured on Ferrell, a pass-rusher-needy team should be willing to take a flier on him. Ferrell is a first-round pick after all, and he did have 21 quarterback pressures in 2020.
Ferrell has upside, even if he hasn’t lived up to his draft status. A potential contender like the Dallas Cowboys or New Orleans—both teams have fewer than 10 sacks on the season—could look to get the production out of Ferrell that the Raiders have not.”
The Raiders wouldn’t get a lot in return for Ferrell (likely Day 3 pick), but trading him could allow for him to get a fresh start somewhere else. Plus, it would open up snaps for someone like Malcolm Koonce, who they selected in the third round this year.
Ferrell’s time in Las Vegas is coming to an end. It’s just a matter of when and not if. Look for the Raiders to explore a possible trade over the next few weeks.
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