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March 29, 2024

Raiders select Clemson’s Clelin Ferrell at No. 4 in NFL draft

Ferrell

Richard Shiro / AP

Clemson’s Clelin Ferrell reacts during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Georgia Southern Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018, in Clemson, S.C. Clemson won 38-7.

Updated Thursday, April 25, 2019 | 8:44 p.m.

With the No. 4 pick of the NFL draft's first round, the Oakland Raiders took Clemson defensive end Clelin Ferrell, a major building block as coach Jon Gruden tries to boost talent along the defensive front.

A two-time All-ACC player who has pass rushing skills on the edge, he was the first of several national champion Tigers to go high from their outstanding D-line.

Josh Jacobs became the first running back drafted Thursday, when Oakland made him the third Alabama player selected at No. 24.

The Raiders acquired the 24th pick from the Chicago Bears in the Khalil Mack trade and used it to grab Jacobs.

With the 27th pick, the Raiders drafted former Mississippi State safety Johnathan Abram, whose pick was acquired from the Dallas Cowboys for Amari Cooper.

After the three first-round picks, the Raiders will also have the 35th overall selection.

Mike Mayock, the former lead analyst at NFL Network, took center stage Thursday night in his new role as general manager of the Raiders.

Few general managers had ever entered the draft with this many premium selections and this little experience making them.

"I don't really worry about it, in all honesty," he said before the draft. "The way I look at this thing, from a 'how do people perceive me' perspective, is a lot of people doubted that anybody should come out of the media and go be a GM for any team. I know that, and I get that, but at the end of the day here's the deal, if we win everything will be fine and if we lose I'll get fired, and I'm perfectly fine with that."