49ers sign former Raiders first-round pick Clelin Ferrell to a one-year deal

The 49ers added an edge rusher. That’s something we all expected. The question was whether San Francisco would add somebody they felt could challenge Drake Jackson or not. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported San Francisco signed former Raiders’ first-round draft pick Clelin Ferrell.

There are no details on the contract yet, but, based on Ferrell’s production throughout his career, it’s reasonable to assume this won’t affect the 49ers cap situation.

Ferrell is widely regarded as a “bust,” though I wouldn’t fault him for the Raiders drafting him fourth overall. He has ten sacks in four seasons. If you take his career numbers, they look like a typical season for Nick Bosa.

This isn’t the first time the Niners have gone after a Raiders' reclamation project. Arden Key, a third-rounder, turned his career around and earned a second contract after a brief stint with the 49ers.

Key was a better player in college and pro player, though. There isn’t much to be optimistic about when you’re looking at Ferrell’s body of work. But the 49ers have Kris Koucrek as a coach. He turns water into wine with anything that he touches.

Flipping Ferrell for a future comp pick would be quite the feather in the 49ers hat. I’m intrigued to see what he brings to the table. But I believe more than anything, this is a vote of confidence in Jackson and what he can do in Year 2.

Ferrell is likely more of a replacement for Charles Omenihu, given his length and versatility to play inside and out.

Using the same splits as the edge rusher article, Ferrell had 250 pass rushing snaps, with a 12.5 percent win percentage, 0.9 sack percentage, 2.2 QB knockdown percentage, and a 10.3 pressure percentage.