Khalil Mack, linebacker, Oakland Raiders
There was some question as to whether Mack would be able to make the transition from playing at a small school (Buffalo) to performing at the highest level football has to offer. Despite this, Oakland nabbed him with the fifth pick in the 2014 NFL Draft. Three years later, an argument could be made that he should have been the top overall pick of that class.
Mack is coming off a 2016 campaign that saw him rack up 73 tackles, 11 sacks and five forced fumbles en route to earning NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors. That came on the heels of a 2015 season in which the edge rusher put up 15 sacks. Did we mention he will still be 26 when the 2017 season comes calling?
What separates Mack from other young pass-rushing talent is his ability to play multiple positions and make an impact in three-down situations.
Oakland’s coaching staff used this as a way to play Mack out of position early on last season. It led to him putting up just one sack in the team’s first five games. While Mack was still playing at a high level, he wasn’t being utilized as a pin-your-ears back pass rusher.
When the Raiders and defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. finally decided to let it loose with Mack, he was among the most dominant players we’ve ever seen. He went on to record 10 sacks, four forced fumbles and a touchdown over the next 10 games. It’s not a coincidence Oakland boasted an 8-2 record during that span. Rarely do we see defenders make that type of an impact. And for Mack, it appears to be nothing more than the tip of the iceberg here. He’s truly a generational talent.