Clelin Ferrell exactly who Raiders thought he’d be

[Rusher]

Plenty of people were taken by surprise when the Raiders drafted defensive end Clelin Ferrell with the fourth overall pick in April, but the Raiders believed he’d be able to make an impact off the edge for a defense that lacked players capable of doing that last season.

A full picture of whether they were right to make Ferrell their choice will have to wait a few months, but there’s no buyer’s remorse at this point. Defensive coordinator Paul Guenther said Ferrell has been “exactly what we thought he was” as a player capable of being an “every-down end.”

“I’ve always looked forward to being a complete player,” Ferrell said, via NBCSportsBayArea.com. “I feel like I’m a guy, just from my mentality, I never want to come off the field. Because I want to be the guy that teammates say, ‘I want him on the field with me. I want to be in the trenches with that guy. I want that guy beside me when it’s fourth-and-1 on the goal line and we need to stop them from getting in the end zone.’ It’s just a mindset.”

Ferrell’s mindset also includes not considering himself a rookie because he thinks that connotes waiting for your turn and that’s not what the Raiders are asking him to do. He’s right about the expectations and it will help the Raiders’ turnaround effort a great deal if they’re proven right about Ferrell.