Las Vegas Raiders

Get to know the Raiders coach behind Khalil Mack's breakout game

Published Dec. 16, 2015 8:06 p.m. ET

foxsports

Oakland Raiders defensive line coach Jethro Franklin isn't a household name -- yet.

That'll change in due time. Franklin has molded the likes of defensive end Khalil Mack into the five-sack monster seen at Mile High Stadium last weekend.

The Denver Broncos were just the latest team with no answer for Franklin's creation. His group has already tallied 12 more sacks in 2015 (34.0) than it did in all of 2014 (22).

Mack's emergence is a big part of that bump. But credit Franklin for molding fellow youngsters like Denico Autry and Mario Edwards Jr. They're coming into their own as pass-rushers, too.

Franklin even rubbed the rust off Aldon Smith for the brief time he played this season. And when the uber-talented linebacker returns to the team next fall, he'll be one more pressure-inducing chess piece in a defense that's now chock full of them.