Las Vegas Raiders

Raiders' Mack is facing mounting pressure to notch more sacks

Published Jun. 12, 2015 3:17 p.m. ET

foxsports

Khalil Mack has all the physical tools it takes to be a premier pass rusher in the NFL.

Now, Raiders coaches want to see their prized pupil turn those traits into quarterback takedowns.

"Everybody is saying how good he is and he got four sacks, I thought to myself, ‘How many great players have four sacks,'" new defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. told ESPN. "You have to get in double digits. So he has a lot of growth to make."

The Raiders were simply ineffective at bringing opposing passers down. Mack was no different; his four sacks in 2014 stick out to detractors.

So, last year's first-rounder packed on weight in an attempt to bully opposing blockers. Mack said he did so with today's pass-first NFL in mind.

Head coach Jack Del Rio knows he'll have a fearsome player if Mack can match that physical growth with a more mature approach in the classroom.

"What he is is he's a young man who has come into the league in his first year, he's got a nice start to his career," Del Rio said. "There is a tremendous amount of growth in front of him and opportunity in front of him to begin to accomplish some of the things that he was brought here for."

(h/t ESPN)