Clelin Ferrell battling Kolton Miller at Raiders camp

Oakland Raiders first-round pick Clelin Ferrell is experiencing typical rookie ups and downs at Raiders training camp practices so far this summer.

One of the more surprising first-round picks of the 2019 NFL draft was the Oakland Raiders’ choice of former Clemson Tigers pass-rusher, Clelin Ferrell.

The surprise didn’t come as a result fo Ferrell being selected in the first round; he was every bit a first-round prospect. But most draft analysts pegged him as a mid-to-late first-round pick. No one had him tiered as a top-five guy.

Hence, the shock.

But now that the dust has settled and the draft is a distant memory, the reality is the Raiders have themselves a potentially dominant edge defender with double-digit sack potential.

He’s off to an uninspiring start in training camp, however, and is losing more battles than he’s winning against 2018 first-rounder, Kolton Miller, according to the Athletic’s Vic Tafur.

To be fair, Ferrell is in his first NFL training camp and every day offers a new opportunity to improve his game. Miller, on the other hand, has already been through an entire season, one in which he went through a major adjustment period, and is more prepared for his second go around.

Ferrell isn’t the kind of player who’s going to wow onlookers with a quick-twitch style of play in a t-shirt and shorts. He’s a gamer and will make his biggest impact on Sundays. And while you’d like to see him make a wow play from time to time in practice, as well as beat a player like Miller who was one of the league’s underachievers last season, patience is required with all rookies including top-five picks.

It’s worth noting that Raiders QB Derek Carr praised Ferrell’s effort and approach to his craft. Usually, players have to develop that level of professionalism; most of the time, they fail. If Ferrell is bringing an A-game from a mindset standpoint, the physical part — and the production — will eventually come.