I watched a good bit of Clelin Ferrell this afternoon (BC, TAMU, Alabama). I'll have to go back and rewatch a little 2017 tape at some point, because he wasn't quite the same player as I remember (though not in a bad way).
- Ferrell's game boils down to two key elements: length and power.
- The foundation of his pass rush approach boils down to long levers and strong, violent hands.
- He has the skill set to convert speed to power, pressuring the OT's outside shoulder and then bulling his way back to the QB.
- Against Alabama, he used a straight bull rush that just absolutely destroyed Jonah Williams... just put him on his back.
- He doesn't have the raw burst to completely blow past an OT, nor the flexibility to turn a tight arc.
- He has enough twitch to counter inside if the OT over-sets.
- He has an NFL caliber spin move that I saw a handful of times.
- He sets a strong edge in the running game.
- He occasionally drops into the flat, but that's certainly not his game at all.
- He has the feet to be really dangerous on E/T stunts; he also shows evidence of being able to reduce inside and create interior pressure.
After B0sa, there is a cluster of edge defenders in this class that includes Allen, Ferrell, Polite, Sweat, and Burns. Ferrell is unique in that group. He can play anywhere from the 5 to the 9 in base defense and could really line up anywhere in passing situations. He's a three down player as a plus run defender.
I like Ferrell and Allen about the same, but for totally different reasons. Allen would replace Fackrell as a blitzer who can drop capably into coverage. You could use him differently on any given play. Ferrell is your replacement for Nick Perry, as a guy who lines up most of the time with his hand in the dirt and comes after the QB in a variety of ways.
