ALAMEDA — Congratulations, Clelin Ferrell. Now go out and be another Khalil Mack.
That won’t be the company line emanating from the Raiders’ facility at Harbor Bay Parkway. But as sure as opposing quarterbacks came out of Oakland games with clean jerseys in 2018, that’s how fans will judge the selection of the Clemson defensive end Thursday night with the fourth pick in the NFL draft.
Nobody knows how this will turn out. Take a draft, any draft, and the eventual reality often is dramatically different from the pre-draft assessment of the top prospects.
It’s not like Ferrill arrives as a 6-foot-5, 265-pound stiff.