Personnel Exec on Raiders drafting Clelin Ferrell: ‘That’s Gruden already (screwing) up’

Oakland surprises NFL by reaching for Clemson defensive end Clelin Ferrell with the No. 4 overall pick.

As the Oakland Raiders picked Clemson defensive end Clelin Ferrell with the No. 4 overall pick, an NFL personnel man laughed out loud and said, “That’s (Oakland coach Jon) Gruden already (expletive) up.”

The Raiders selection of Ferrell was panned around the NFL as a significant reach for a team that was trying to replace transcendent talent, Khalil Mack.

“I rated this kid as a late first-round pick,” the personnel man said. “He’s a nice player, but you had guys on the board who are going to be perennial Pro Bowlers. (Josh) Allen, (Ed) Oliver, (Devin) White … all those guys are so much better than (Ferrell).”

The 6-foot-4, 264-pound Ferrell had 21 sacks in 2017 for a loaded Clemson defense and helped the Tigers win the National Championship this past season. However, Ferrell is considered somewhat limited when compared to other players at that part of the draft.

The move was confirmation of rumors that the Raiders would do something “shocking” at the No. 4 spot under Gruden, who is in his second season as head coach, and under first-year General Manager Mike Mayock. The Raiders had gone to great lengths in the past week to keep their pick a secret, including dismissing all over their scouts from the team facility at the end of last week.