2019 NFL Draft: Clelin Ferrell isn’t elite but he’s plenty good enough

Clelin Ferrell sometimes gets lost amidst a loaded 2019 NFL draft defensive line class, but don’t be distracted. He should be a good one.

Position:  EDGE

School:  Clemson

Year:  Junior

Height: 6’4

Weight: 264 lbs

STRENGTHS:

• Consistently productive during a run that included two national championships. He finished with 27 career sacks including a personal best 11.5 in 2018.
• While not an upper tier athlete, he’s got enough bend and quickness to put together some slick moves from time to time, including some inside spins.
• One thing a top pass rusher needs is get-off. Can he time the snap and explode out of his stance, getting a step on the tackle? He consistently shows he has this quality.
• Clearly has the length. When he uses the full extent of his arms, it seems fairly easy for him to keep blockers off his body.

This showcases everything about what Ferrell could be in the NFL. His initial burst of the snap is timed well. The tackle tries to mirror him but he does a good job of using his long arm to stab and keep the blocker at bay. Then he uses his impressive lower body strength to drive the tackle backward and literally off his feet, forcing the QB to unload the ball. When he does things like this consistently, it’s often too difficult to block him.

• Effort level isn’t an issue. Even if he initially missed out on a play, he’ll maintain pursuit through the end of it until he hears the whistle.
• Has the necessary power to deliver a strong bull rush or set the edge against the run. His size makes it to where he won’t constantly be driven back.
• Shows good ball awareness. Is rarely caught out of position by fakes or run-pass option plays. Maintains his gap discipline.
• Navigates the traffic really well. Doesn’t get caught up in the scrum. Can naturally weave his way through to the football without losing momentum.

WEAKNESSES:

• With great pass rushers, people always talk about finishing strong. Despite his productive time in school, he showed a lot of instances where he left sacks on the field because he couldn’t finish.
• For all his experience, it comes across at times that he is just winging it with each rush. He doesn’t vary up his moves much, which makes it easier to block him.
• Tends to favor going outside too often. Doesn’t try converting speed to power or cutting inside more often, which hurts his effectiveness.
• Closing speed and acceleration always seem to be a tick too slow. It’s a big reason why his inconsistent hands hurt him so much.
• Though he doesn’t lack the strength, he seems too in love with beating blockers with quickness. Don’t see him try to use a true bull rush often enough.

Pro Comparison: Ryan Kerrigan

The star Redskins pass rusher wasn’t known for anything elite coming out of Purdue but he had quality traits across the board from good size to solid strength and quickness off the snap that enabled him to be effective on talent alone. It took some time but once he figured out how to consistently use those assets along with a pass rush plan to his advantage, he became a player good for at least 10 sacks every year.

Projection: 1st round

Ferrell isn’t falling out of the top 32, that’s for sure. He’s much too talented and proven at this point. Is he a top 15 guy though? Some will say yes and others no. Smart money says he goes somewhere in the teens. He has no character red flags and has a chance to become a consistently productive pass rusher in the NFL for a long time. Teams have a bad habit of overthinking picks. This is one they absolutely cannot.