Khalil Mack was excellent against the run and pass this season. The Raiders edge rusher brought more pressure than any other in 2016, making the quarterback at least flinch on 95 occasions.
Mack made quarterbacks flinch despite significant attention, and was a true force on defense.
Those efforts were rewarded on Saturday night, when he was named the Associated Press Defensive Player of the Year.
The honor supported two other awards, and confirms he’s a national superstar worthy of the No. 5 overall draft pick
Mack was not in Houston at the NFL Honors awards show, to accept the award. That fits Mack’s persona, who prefers to play well without recognition.
He demands attention on the field, with an astonishing stat line.
Mack finished the 2016 season with 73 tackles, 11 sacks, five forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and an interception. He had 16 tackles for a loss, one off the NFL lead. According to the analytics website Pro Football Focus, Mack led all edge rushers with 96 total quarterback pressures.
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His best game came against Tampa Bay, when he had two sacks, two quarterback hits and seven quarterback pressures.
Mack received the most attention for a victory over Carolina, where he did almost everything. He returned an interception for a touchdown late in the first half, and strip sacked Panthers quarterback Cam Newton and recovered his own forced fumble to seal that game. Then he did something similar the next week against Buffalo, affirming he ranked among the league’s most disruptive.
Mack was a true team leader in 2016, vital factor in the team’s 12-4 record. The Raiders will sign him to a contract extension when the time is right, knowing full well that he makes their defense better.
