Oakland Raiders: Arden Key needs to finish sacks in 2019

Among the goals for the Oakland Raiders in 2019 is to develop a sufficient pass rush. Arden Key’s ability to finish sacks will be vital next season.

The new formula for success in today’s NFL is to have a franchise quarterback on the offensive side of the ball, and to have a sufficient pass rush on the other end. Take a look at almost any of the elite in today’s league, and generally they have one or two guys that’ll make the opposing quarterback uncomfortable in the pocket.

The lack of a pass rush was a glaring weakness from the beginning of 2018 for the Raiders, and they’ll almost certainly address this issue through the draft and free agency. But they’ll also need contributions from the young players already on the roster, including that of Arden Key.

Last season, Arden Key was drafted to be that edge-rusher caliber player to help fortify the pass rush. After hearing his name called and heading into preseason, the belief was that he’d be able to learn under and be mentored by the likes of Khalil Mack and Bruce Irvin. As we all know now, that didn’t turn out to be the case.

Mack was traded on the eve of the regular season, and Irvin found himself becoming less and less impactful as the season went on, eventually being released and finding a new home with the Atlanta Falcons. For the majority of the season, Arden Key was thrust into the a role with more responsibility placed on his shoulders, and while he showed promise his inexperience ultimately held him back.

The Raiders finished dead last in sacks (17), a good 13 sacks behind the next best in the New York Giants. Key himself recorded just one sack all season, but if there was a positive to take away from his rookie season, it was that Key could have had so many more sacks if he were just able to finish bringing down the quarterback, a goal that Key certainly has on his mind and can be achieved in 2019.

A great example came in the season finale against the Kansas City Chiefs and MVP-candidate Patrick Mahomes. In the first quarter, Paul Guenther called a nice pressure scheme that resulted in Key having Mahomes dead in his sights, running right towards him almost unblocked. But Key might have been a little too eager, running too quickly and failing to ease his speed at the right time.

The result: Mahomes had just enough time to spin out of the tackle and make a completion downfield, whereas he should have been brought down for a loss. It’s one of the many instances in 2018 where Key had the QB right where he wanted him, perhaps should have brought him down for the sack, but miscues here and there caused a possible sack to slip away.

“I think Arden, he should have about eight sacks right now if he could just get the guy to the ground,” Guenther iterated in a press conference post-regular season. If there is something that fans can look forward to in 2019, it’s that Key should be able to focus on these small fixes, hone his technique, maybe even add a little more weight, and the results should show.

Whether that be easing his speed just a bit as he collapses into the pocket, or shortening his strides as he maneuvers pass the offensive lineman, or adding muscle to ensure the quarterback doesn’t slip out of his hands, the end result for Key has to be finishing bringing down whoever is under center.

With that number four pick in April’s draft the Raiders would be wise to use it on a young pass rusher to add depth to the defensive line. They may very well leverage their cap space to bring in a veteran-caliber player for that same role, and all the above options would help Key develop in his sophomore season. But make no mistake that Key has shown the ability to generate pressure, his next step will be to finish the job at hand and once he can do that, it’s another step in the right direction for this franchise.