ALAMEDA, Calif. -- Khalil Mack might be a strong candidate for defensive rookie of the year honors, but the Oakland Raiders' outside linebacker is far from a polished product.

The fifth overall pick in this year's NFL draft, Mack has been attracting attention and garnering praise from opposing players and coaches around the league from the moment he first stepped on the field in the preseason.

Despite frequently facing double-team blocking schemes, Mack is among the team leaders in tackles, is tied for the team-high in sacks and is second in the NFL behind Denver's Von Miller in quarterback hurries. According to ESPN Stats and Info, Mack also has 15 tackles for losses which is second among all rookies behind St. Louis Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald.

In Mack's eyes, however, there is plenty of room for improvement.

"There are a lot of things I need to work on," Mack said Thursday. "My vision looking in on plays, playing with my hands better, especially pass-rushing. A whole lot of things I want to work on. It's always something to get better at, whether I'm excelling at it or not."

Mack had a decorated career in college while attending the University at Buffalo but there was some apprehension and debate over whether he could make the transition to the NFL. That chatter died down and was quickly replaced by talk about how many postseason awards Mack might be in line for.

Through 14 games Mack has the highest grade among all linebackers, according to ProFootballFocus.com. It's worth noting that Mack has been so strong that until this week the website listed him as an outside 3-4 linebacker even though the Raiders play a base 4-3.

ESPN analyst and former NFL running back Merril Hoge was effusive in his praise of Mack when discussing the rookie linebacker recently.

"Every week, one of the teams I watch early on is the Raider defense," Hoge said. "And the reason I want to watch is Khalil Mack. He's not just one of the best rookies to come out, he's the best linebacker in the National Football League, and he is the best against the run."

Mack won't go that far.

He long ago shed the feelings of being a rookie and has steadily improved throughout the course of the season, one of the few bright spots in an otherwise dismal season for the 2-12 Raiders.

"I'm trying to go out and get better every week," Mack said. "I know I'm playing against the best in the world whenever I'm out there on the field so I want to play at my best. I can't really look at it as being a rookie."

Having a locker next to two-time Super Bowl champ Justin Tuck has kept the young linebacker humble and has helped keep Mack focused on the task at hand.

"You can see me out on the field, I'm always bugging him about something but he's always teaching me lessons," Mack said. "He's in my ear as well. It's great to have that type of guy in the locker room. He's a stand-up guy. He's like a big brother."