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Oakland Raiders 2018 season grades: DE Arden Key

By Jose Sanchez III

OAKLAND, CA - DECEMBER 09: Arden Key #99 of the Oakland Raiders puts the pass pressure on quarterback Joshua Dobbs #5 of the Pittsburgh Steelers during the third quarter of their NFL football game at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on December 9, 2018 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CA - DECEMBER 09: Arden Key #99 of the Oakland Raiders puts the pass pressure on quarterback Joshua Dobbs #5 of the Pittsburgh Steelers during the third quarter of their NFL football game at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on December 9, 2018 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /
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Arden Key is going to play a big role for the Oakland Raiders moving forward, and we take a look back at his rookie season in 2018.

In the 2017 season, the Oakland Raiders had one of the best pass rushers in the game in Khalil Mack. Despite having such a dangerous pass rusher the Raiders didn’t have a well rounded pass rush. Outside of Mack, the supporting cast was nonexistent. I mean sure, they had the likes of Bruce Irvin who had his moments, but it was always just the Khalil Mack show.

A lethal pass rush in the NFL is one of the ingredients to a successful franchise. That’s why adding depth on the defensive line was a priority for the Raiders in the 2017 draft. One of the building blocks to building that supporting cast was third round selection Arden Key.

Expectations

When the Raiders drafted Arden Key,  I had high expectations for the LSU edge rusher. He was in a prime position for opportunities and growth sitting behind Khalil Mack and Bruce Irvin. Personally, I saw him getting 5 sacks or more since teams wouldn’t focus on him. The same goes for Maurice Hurst Jr and P.J. Hall. Offenses were going to stress on Mack and even Irvin to a certain extent that one on one opportunities were going to be rich for the young linemen.

Reality

Then came the trade heard around the world. The Oakland Raiders shocked everyone by sending Khalil Mack to the Chicago Bears for a couple of first round picks. That forced Bruce Irvin into a No. one pass rusher role, which he was hardly a No. two to begin with. Irvin didn’t produce much, so it was easy to keep Arden Key and the rest of the rookies at bay. Early in the season, Key was struggling in running situations and couldn’t finish sacks. It was an uphill climb for the rookie this past season.

He was supposed to sit behind one of the best pass rushers in the league, to suddenly being elevated as the teams best and only option on the edge. Key’s progression did start to show as the season went on. He wasn’t as a great of a liability on running downs as he was in the first half of the season. However, he still struggled to bring quarterbacks down. It wasn’t for a lack of effort. He was in the backfield a good amount of the time. He just couldn’t find the key to unlocking the finisher.

Looking ahead

With a season of starting under his belt, Arden Key is going to be looked at as a big contributor in 2019. Hopefully he won’t be the Raiders only option for a pass rush on the edge. That will need to be addressed through free agency and/or the draft in a few months. For yet another consecutive year, the Oakland Raiders find themselves in a position to build a well rounded pass rush.

Next. Is Anthony Barr worth a look in free agency?. dark

If they can bring in a couple of players to divert opposing offenses attention, then I think we will see Arden Key start to hit his stride. This offseason is going to be crucial for him. The Oakland Raiders are extremely desperate for a pass rush. Whether that’s from one player or a whole squadron. Regardless, Arden Key will have eyes on him from both coaches and the fans for his improvement.

Grade: C

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