Oakland Raiders: 5 Standouts from Preseason Week 1 vs. Rams

2. Nathan Peterman, QB

Nathan Peterman may be a running joke among NFL fans from his time on the field with the Buffalo Bills — and rightfully so. The Pittsburgh Panthers product was a walking interception whenever he saw the field in Buffalo. As he made his preseason debut with the Raiders on Saturday night, though, he was the best quarterback to take the field.

Peterman’s passing numbers were fine as he went 9-of-12 for 66 yards and a touchdown. However, he showed great playmaking with his legs, rushing for 56 yards on three carries, including an impressive 53-yard scamper.

Most importantly, Peterman protected the ball and didn’t commit a turnover against the Rams. While Mike Glennon struggled, throwing two picks on the night despite 200 yards passing, Peterman’s ball-security — as unlikely as that may seem — might give him a leg up in the backup quarterback competition for the Raiders.

1. Clelin Ferrell, EDGE

When Mike Mayock and Jon Gruden elected to take Clelin Ferrell with the fourth overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, many people questioned the move. There was no doubting that the Clemson product was a solid player capable of competing in the NFL. Where there was concern, though, was in regards to the upside of Ferrell in relation to some of the players still on the board at No. 4.

In his preseason debut, Ferrell made anyone still doubting the pick continue to rethink their stance on the matter. Though the Raiders rookie only managed two combined tackles (one solo) on the night, the film showed much more. He was a force on virtually every snap that he played, drawing holding penalties on numerous occasions and making big plays up front time and again.

While you may still question the upside of Ferrell, he showed in his preseason debut that he’s ready to be a quality contributor right away on this Oakland defense. For a team starved for playmakers on the edge, seeing that from Ferrell had to make Raiders fans feel quite good.