A change of scenery could be good for this former Clemson standout to help him get his NFL career back on track.

ESPN recently published an article on 32 NFL players who need a fresh start on a new team, breaking down one player on each team who should be glad to find a new home for next season.

Former Clemson defensive end Clelin Ferrell is listed as one of those players.

Drafted by the then-Oakland Raiders with the fourth overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, Ferrell has struggled to live up to the hype that surrounded him when he was selected as a top draft choice. Across four seasons with the Raiders, Ferrell has tallied 105 total tackles, 15 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, 32 quarterback hits, 11 passed defended and a pair of forced fumbles.

Ferrell has flashed his talent and pass rush ability from time to time and had his best overall professional season as a rookie back in 2019, when he recorded 38 total tackles, 4.5 sacks, eight tackles for loss and five passes defended, all of which are still career highs.

“It’s not Ferrell’s fault the Raiders used the No. 4 overall draft pick on him in 2019; edge rusher was their primary need that year and Ferrell was their second-ranked player at that position behind Nick Bosa, who went second in that draft,” ESPN’s Paul Gutierrez wrote. “Ferrell’s production has dipped since he started 15 games as a rookie and had 4.5 sacks. In 15 combined games since, he has 5.5 sacks, with the Raiders bringing in Yannick Ngakoue and Chandler Jones the past two years to replace him. Ferrell has been a solid special teams player, but if he wants a fresh start, it would seemingly have to be somewhere else.”

Ferrell made some contributions during his fourth season with the Raiders in 2022, playing 494 snaps over 16 games (four starts) and posting eight quarterback hits with 13 total pressures. The 6-foot-4, 265-pounder doesn’t turn 26 until May and has size, length and versatility to offer potential NFL suitors.

Ferrell is ranked No. 98 on Pro Football Talk’s list of the top 100 free agents for the start of the 2023 league year.

The free agency negotiating period begins March 13 ahead of the start of the league year on March 15.

–Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images 

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