Raiders linebacker Khalil Mack had an excellent rookie season.
The 6-foot-3, 251-pounder was outstanding against the run, a sure tackler and a disruptive force from his right outside linebacker spot in Oakland’s 4-3 scheme. He was in on 76 tackles, had four sacks, forced a fumble, had 13 tackles that resulted in no gain or a loss for the opposition and batted away three passes.
Mack was in the running for NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2014 (he finished third), but some believed he should have won. Former NFL running back Meril Hoge, now an ESPN analyst, said he looked forward to watching the Raiders every week just because of Mack.
“He’s not just one of the best rookie to come out, he’s the best linebacker in the National Football League, and he is the best against the run,” he said in December.
Now, as Mack works with his teammates through organized team activities (OTAs) and prepares for next week’s full-squad mini camp, Mack says he wants to be much, much better in 2015.
In particular, he wants more sacks. Last season, he was all around the quarterback. He had 40 quarterback hurries. But he had just four sacks.
“I definitely want to get after the quarterback more this year,” Mack told Jeffri Chadiha of ESPN.com. “I got some hits (last season), but people didn’t really see what I can do. Those sack numbers I had really weren’t me. At the end of the day, you want people to see you at your best.”
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In a long profile of Mack for ESPN.com published this week, Chadiha noted that Mack went back to the University of Buffalo this offseason to work out with trainer John Opfer to get stronger and more fit. He ran steep hills, lifted weights, strengthened his hands to better shed blocks and toned his core muscles to get more explosiveness.
In just his short time with his new team, new Oakland middle linebacker Curtis Lofton says he believes the Raiders and their fans have just seen a flash of what Mack can be in the NFL. Lofton says Mack can be a “monster.”
“I mean, he’s young, he’s got so much more,” Lofton told reporters during OTAs. “I’m really impressed with him. He comes in every day to work. He studies and goes out there and executes it on the football field. Some guys out there have a good year that first year as rookies and then they kinda, you know, are Mr. Joe Cool, and that’s not him. He comes to work every single day.”
