Clelin Ferrell was arguably the best player on college football's most dominant defensive line last season. He, along with Dexter Lawrence and Christian Wilkins played an important role in Clemson's run to the national title. Now he hopes that success translates to the NFL, where he has designs on being the next great pass rusher.

College career

Ferrell played high school football in Richmond, Va. As a redshirt freshman, Ferrell logged six sacks and 12.5 tackles for loss. The following year he was names to the 2017 College Football All-American Team as a redshirt sophomore after 9.5 sacks and 18 tackles for loss. Last season, during the Tigers' run to the national title, Ferrell had 11.5 sacks, 20 tackles for loss and three forced fumbles. 

Among all FBS edge rushers, Ferrell ranked 10th in Pro Football Focus' pass-rush productivity metric and he was 19th in generating inside pressure. However, he finished 94th in run-stop percentage.

Combine/pro day results

MeasurementResult

Height:

6-foot-4

Weight:

264 pounds

Arms:

34 1/8 inches

Hands:

10 1/2 inches

WorkoutResult

40-yard dash:

--

Bench press:

25

Vertical jump:

--

Broad jump:

--

3-cone drill:

7.26

20-yard shuttle:

4.4

60-yard shuttle:

12.07

Ferrell didn't run the 40-yard dash at the combine or his pro day, reportedly due to a toe injury.

Strengths/weaknesses

Strengths: Ferrell, who had a dominant college career, has an explosive first step, good change of direction and a high motor. He has an assortment of pass-rush moves and shows good lateral mobility for someone who's 6-foot-4 and 264 pounds. Better suited to play defensive end in a 4-3 scheme but could also be a 3-4 outside linebacker.  

Here's Ferrell bull-rushing Alabama left tackle and likely first-round pick Jonah Williams in the national title game: 

Weaknesses: Ferrell needs to get stronger but despite concerns about flexibility, he has the athleticism to regularly turn the corner on offensive tackles and get to the quarterback.

NFL comparison

From CBS Sports NFL draft analyst Chris Trapasso:

Chandler Jones. Ferrell is a power defensive end who wins with a long reach, strength, and above-average athleticism. He can be a stellar run defender from the first moment he steps onto an NFL field. Sounds a lot like Jones to me. Ferrell isn't a super-flashy, low-dip-around-the-corner speed rusher. He's a prospect who can instantly overwhelm pro tackles with his length and strength combination, and his pass-rushing arsenal got better as the season progressed in 2018. 

NFL teams in play to draft Ferrell

Giants: The Giants have the No. 6 and No. 17 picks in Round 1. While there has been some conversation of them targeting an edge rusher with the first first-rounder, they could wait until the middle of the round should they instead target a quarterback. Given the depth at pass rusher, Ferrell could still be on the board at No. 17 and he'd immediately upgrade a unit that lost Olivier Vernon this offseason (he was traded to the Browns weeks before Odell Beckham Jr. was).

Panthers: Carolina has the No. 16 selection and in addition to offensive line help, they need to bolster the pass rush; Julius Peppers has retired and Mario Addison, who is 31, has one year left on his deal. Ferrell would be a logical choice, and would also complicate things for the Giants, who have the 17th pick.

Lions: Detroit has been linked to Rashan Gary, in part because he played at nearby Michigan. But Ferrell was more productive in college and could sneak into the top 10 depending on how teams view him.

Raiders: Oakland, who traded Khalil Mack and cut Bruce Irvin during the 2018 season, desperately need a pass rusher. And while No. 4 may be too early to draft Ferrell, he could be on the board when the Raiders select again (they have the 24th and 27th picks as well.

Steelers: Pittsburgh needs edge help but they also need to bolster the cornerback and linebacker positions. They began to address them in free agency -- CB Steven Nelson and LB Mark Barron were signed -- but there's still no depth behind pass rushers Bud Dupree and T.J. Watt. The Steelers, who pick 20th, may wait until subsequent rounds to address the position but Ferrell's availability could make them rethink that.