NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Well, they did send their scouts home early.

The Raiders did as only the Raiders could and threw the ultimate curveball four picks into Thursday’s first round of the NFL draft, picking Clemson defensive end Clelin Ferrell. It was the first pick for new general manager Mike Mayock, working with head coach Jon Gruden to revive the once-dominant franchise.

A threatening pass rusher, Ferrell was projected to be a mid-first rounder, but not a top-five pick. When commissioner Roger Goodell announced the pick — slightly butchering Ferrell’s first name — it was met with disbelief from the packed crowd on Broadway. Fellow front-seven studs Josh Allen and Ed Oliver were both available, but the Raiders threw everybody for a loop.

The Raiders had the luxury of making a big splash with three first-round picks Thursday but had a bumpy ride to get there. Late last week, news broke that Mayock sent his scouts home early over concerns about who he could trust.

With the No. 24 pick — one they got in return for last season’s controversial Khalil Mack trade with the Bears — they got a new running back in Alabama’s Josh Jacobs. At No. 27 — the pick they received in exchange for Amari Cooper — they drafted Mississippi State safety Johnathan Abram.

Ferrell was the first of three Clemson defensive linemen picked from the reigning national champions. The Dolphins drafted defensive tackle Christian Wilkins at No. 13 and the Giants followed up by taking defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence at No. 17. They formed a vaunted defensive line for one of the top units in the country in back-to-back falls.

The 6-foot-4, 264-pound Ferrell racked up 166 tackles, 50.5 tackles for loss and 27 sacks in three years with the Tigers after redshirting as a freshman. The ACC Defensive Player of the Year brings speed off the edge and will try to make up for the pass rush that the Raiders have been sorely missing since trading away Mack last year.