OAKLAND — Khalil Mack played sparingly in the Raiders’ first two preseason games, so it was difficult to get a read on how he’s adjusting to playing primarily as a down lineman from the left edge.

With a full half and change in Sunday night’s 30-23 loss to the Arizona Cardinals, however, Mack offered plenty of fine reading material. He was a veritable best-seller, in fact, with a pair of sacks and a forced fumble on a third-and-1 play in which is he destroyed not only the players trying to block him but the tailback trying to get the first down.

“Yeah, he was terrific,” said coach Jack Del Rio. “I thought he played very well. We got some good pressure on the quarterback and he was a large part of that. I know he had a couple of sacks and a couple of other plays, but he was very stout in the run game as well.”

Indeed, Mack was every bit the all-around defensive terror the Raiders thought they drafted last year with the fifth overall pick, and if his first extended second-year performance was any indication of what’s to come in the regular season, the 24-year-old could be primed for great things in 2015.

“He’s gone through 16 games,” said veteran safety Charles Woodson. “He has some experience now. This guy is only going to get better. He’s only getting his feet wet right now, but he’s going to be a star.”

Mack was good last year, but he also often looked like a dazed and confused rookie at times as he learned the NFL, which was quite a big jump in game speed from the University of Buffalo. But with a year under his belt now, he looks to be comfortable in his element, and much more focused on what he has to do, as he prepares for his second year as a pro.

“The game has slowed down a lot,” Mack said. “I was talking to Derek (Carr) about that. You can see a lot more things before the snap and you can read things, especially after watching film. So I’m trying to capitalize on everything.”

It was a particularly strong night for the first-unit defensive front as it harassed veteran quarterback Carson Palmer into an 8-for-22, two-interception night and Palmer also went down three times in the first half on sacks.

Rookie end Mario Edwards Jr. also had a pair of sacks, one with the first unit and another with the third, while Denico Aulry tipped a pair of Palmer passes and nose tackle Stacy McGee also deflected one. Arizona also managed just 29 yards on the ground in the first half against the Raiders’ first defensive unit.

“We have a special group of guys,” said Mack. “We’re missing one of our warriors, Justin Tuck, but once we get it all together and put it on display, it’s going to be a special thing to see.”

Del Rio admitted he sees some of the same things.

“We feel like our front is going to be pretty stout,” he said. “There were some lapses at the end and we need to see the tape on that. But early in the game, I thought they did a good job clogging running lames, logging passing lanes as well, knocking the ball down and sacking the quarterback. The defense played really outstanding in the first and half and gave a lot of short-field opportunities to our offense with turnovers and really big stops.”

Much of the overall havoc was an outgrowth of what Mack created individually with his relentless pressure on almost every passing down. On his first sack, he bull-rushed Arizona right tackle D.J. Humphries then suddenly spun off him and went right after Palmer, dropping him hard to the turf.

“It’s something I’ve been working on,” Mack said of his spin move. “I told you, I’m a hard worker. So I’ve been working on that a little bit.”

His best play of the night, though — and perhaps the best indicator of how he is maturing as a complete player — was blowing up Cardinals running back Chris Johnson on third-and-1 at the Raiders 32 for a fumble and 4-yard loss that ultimately led to a missed 54-yard field goal attempt.

“I believe they gave me like a pair set,” Mack said. “The wide receiver came down and I already knew what the play was going to be. I blew the tight end back, saw the running back, reached and grabbed at what I could grab and it just so happened to be the ball.”

Mack played as a stand-up linebacker almost exclusively last season, but the Raiders want him playing down as a defensive end this year in most pass-rush sets. Without question, he’s strong enough to handle the tackles trying to block him and significantly quicker.

“We’ll still drop him some (in coverage),” said Del Rio. “But most of the time he’s going to go forward and rush and disrupt in the backfield in the run game and in the pass game. We just feel like that’s one of the strengths he brings.”

Up or down, it doesn’t matter to Mack. He said he’ll make the necessary adjustments.

“It’s football,” he said. “This is what I love to do, and I actually get paid to do it. So it’s very fun.”