The 2014 first-draft-pick for the Oakland Raiders, Khalil Mack, has expressed that he is shooting to break the NFL sack record for the 2017 season. On top of that, he has mentioned to go as far as getting 30 sacks, which is 7.5 more than the record held by Michael Strahan done in 2001.
As a matter of fact, Mack did not actually address this personal wishful feat himself. It was quarterback Derek Carr who actually mentioned this to the press. Mack told the media that he did not wish for Carr to have "told everybody else", but he did verify that it was true.
Not being mad at his teammate, Mack did mentioned that Carr knows what his players want because of their hard work. Also, they both expect the ultimate when the season starts in September.
Can Mack Break the Record?
Khalil Mack is no joke and has the ability to break the record of 22.5 sacks done in 2001 by Michael Strahan of New York Giants. Will he do it? Since his debut back in 2014, Mack has not disappointed the Oakland Raiders. So far, he has 30 sacks total in three seasons, and, while that might an argument against him, the guy is still one of the best in the league.
In 2014, Mack got four sacks as a rookie. The next season in 2015, Mack got 15 sacks and made first-team All-Pro at outside linebacker and defensive end.
Last season, he got 11 despite a slow start in the beginning. However, in 2016, he did not have much help in the pass rushing department. Stacey McGee and Stacey Williams combine for three and did not give much help to an energetic Mack. Basically, Mack was the only beast working the pass rush department for the Raiders.
Both McGee and Williams are gone and Mack remains.
Of course, he is expected to be the main man when dealing with the pass rushing this season. Additionally, Mack attended a pass rushing summit held by Von Miller in Stanford during the offseason. This summit included other huge NFL pass rushers like DeMarcus Ware, Vic Beasley Jr., and Solomon Thomas.
Khalil Mack's Confidence
Mack felt that the summit at Stanford was very helpful. He is also known for working super hard and making waves at practice. Teammates Marshall Newhouse, who has to play a lot against Mack at practice, claims that Mack is such a good player that it is making him a better offensive linesmen. At the same time, Newhouse hopes that he is challenging Mack, so, in return, Mack will become a better pass rusher.
As for Mack, he claims that he is hard working that he has been eyeballing the record number held by Strahan, 22.5 sacks, since he was a rookie. In fact, Mack has been feeling so good about himself that he feels like he could go beyond the record number. The optimism is running so high that he feels like he can actually get 30 sacks next season for the Oakland Raiders.
