There's no doubting Oakland Raiders DE/LB Khalil Mack's ability. He's one of the best young defensive players in the NFL and there's a reason he was the first player ever to be named to the AP All-Pro team at two positions. In fact, NFL.com's Adam Schein is so bullish on Mack that he's put him on his NFL MVP watch list.
Schein ranks Mack No. 6, behind the usual contenders in Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Cam Newton and Adrian Peterson. Fellow defenseman J.J. Watt is ahead of Mack as well. Here's Schein's explanation for putting Mack at No. 6.
I'm also all in on the Raiders. And Mack is a stud pass rusher, an absolute freak of nature. Last season, we saw what happens when a defensive coordinator completely turns Mack loose off the edge: 15 sacks and two forced fumbles. (Touché, Ken Norton Jr.) And Oakland added another explosive edge rusher (Bruce Irvin) in free agency, so it'll be more difficult to completely focus all protection on Mack.
I don't think it's hyperbole to conjure up a scenario where the Raiders win 10 games, Mack sacks the quarterback 20 times and Oakland sits atop the AFC West. What a time to be alive -- eh, Raider Nation?!
That's some high praise for both the Raiders and Mack. But defensive players rarely get MVP consideration, with Watt being the only major exception in recent years. So while Mack is deserving of the praise he gets, contending for an MVP might be asking a bit too much.
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