Clelin Ferrell 2019 NFL Draft Profile

Clelin Ferrell 2019 NFL Draft Profile

In a draft class headlined by the likes of Ohio State’s Nick Bosa and Kentucky’s Josh Allen, one name that has been undervalued is Clemson’s Clelin Ferrell. In past years, Ferrell would likely have been heavily discussed as a top three pick. Now his name hovers in the five to ten range, and teams picking in this range should be excited.

Ferrell garnered plenty of interest from top programs out of high school. Rivals rated him as the sixth-best weakside defensive end in the 2015 recruiting class. But Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables recruited Ferrell directly and he committed to the Tigers fairly early in the process, doing so in June of 2014.

Ferrell was immensely productive at Clemson, clocking in at sixth in the NCAA with 11.5 sacks in 2018. The product of Richmond, VA has increased his sack total in each of the three years he has logged significant snaps for the Tigers. The improvements in Ferrell’s game culminated in him being named the recipient of the Ted Hendricks award in 2018, given to the nation’s best defensive end. Ferrell will have a chance to improve his stock during the combine process and should impress teams with his size and length.

Strengths

Elite strength-consistently drives tackles into the backfield;

Length allows him to ‘bench press’ tackles and rip past;

Can eat up double teams;

Will consistently create a stalemate and thwart outside runs;

Good ability to ‘get skinny’ and squeak by tackles;

Highly productive during his three years at Clemson;

Very quick off the ball;

Spin move is serviceable and his most effective finesse move.

Weaknesses

Can be quick to bite on initial play read;

Inconsistent motor-can get ‘bored’ against inside runs;

Bend is average and he also lacks the quickness to compensate;

Struggles as an open field tackler;

Can be too quick to shoot the inside shoulder of the tackle;

Can get caught up in the battle with opposing tackle and miss out on the play.

NFL Comparison: Trey Flowers

Projection: Potential top 10 pick

Bottom Line

Ferrell is not the coveted speed rusher that many fans think of when the edge defender is discussed. He is, however, a polished player with the skill set to play all three downs. He has the length and strength to be an effective pass rusher and is effective in creating an obstacle in the run game. Ferrell still has some room for improvement in his football I.Q. and overall quickness. But whichever team drafts him is getting an immediate starter. Expect him to live on the edge in a 4-3 scheme and consistently match up with the league’s top tackles.