Oakland Raiders: Khalil Mack vs. Von Miller Is Now A Thing
By Erik Lambert
The Oakland Raiders have to feel that they really did get something special in Khalil Mack when he now being debated as a preference over Von Miller.
That’s right. THE Von Miller. The man who almost single-handedly won the Denver Broncos a Super Bowl with one of the most dominant performances in the big game ever witnessed. Aside from J.J. Watt he might be the best pass rusher, no the best defensive player in the NFL. That is the man that experts are comparing Mack too. ESPN tackled it with a simple question during an AFC West Q&A session: Would you take Mack’s future or Miller’s present?
It’s a difficult one to ponder because it has the feeling of being a win-win since both look like such great players right now. It becomes a matter of whether a person is willing to gamble on Mack since he’s only had one great year so far while Miller has had several.
At first it seemed to drift that way as Chargers beat writer Eric D. Williams professed.
"“While Mack’s future is certainly bright, I’ll take Miller’s present. The Texas A&M product is still young at 27 years old. Most elite pass-rushers age gracefully, which means Miller likely has several more productive seasons left in the tank. Even though he will sign a contract for big money, Miller doesn’t seem like the type of player to get complacent. And Miller already demonstrated he can carry a team with his dominant performance against the Carolina Panthers last season in Denver’s Super Bowl win. So Miller understands what it takes to reach the ultimate goal and can help guide the rest of his teammates along the way.”"
However, it was hardly a landslide victory for the Broncos star. Chiefs writer Adam Teicher wasted no time in firing back with his thoughts on Mack.
"“This is one of those choices where you can’t go wrong, but I’d bet on Mack and what he might bring the next 10 years. Miller has 60 sacks in five NFL seasons, never less than 11 in a full season and never more than 18.5. Assuming Mack stays healthy, he’ll do better than that. Right now, he’s behind Miller in sacks per season. He has 19 through two seasons, so he’s averaging 2.5 sacks less than Miller’s 12. But Mack has the look of someone who’s going to consistently be in that range of the upper teens from this point on. More than any other player — Miller included — he has the best chance to break the NFL’s single-season sack record.”"
While there is no clear cut winner in the debate between the two pass rusher, what is clear is that the Oakland Raiders defense has reason to feel really good about their immediate future. Khalil Mack is fast becoming one of the best in the game and the rest of the NFL is beginning to take notice. If they can continue to build around him over the next few seasons, that unit has a chance to ascend to the top of pro football, something that hasn’t happened in a long, long time.