Arden Key Drafted By the Oakland Raiders

The fall of LSU’s enigmatic pass rusher came to an end when Arden Key was drafted by the Oakland Raiders with the 87th overall pick in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft.

After a school-record 12 sacks as an end/outside linebacker in 2016, Key appeared poised to push for a top-five slotting in 2017, but after sitting out for most of the spring and summer for a leave of absence, a shoulder surgery and slow recovery Key played in just eight games. He still finished with a solid 33 tackles and four sacks despite playing with a broken finger, but a knee injury cut his season short.

But slow times and interviews that were rumored to be less than forthcoming regarding his off-field issues caused Key to drop all the way to the xxx round. Still, he has the potential to be a dynamic pass-rush force for the Raiders.

Key finished his LSU career with 21 sacks in 31 career games, tied with Gabe Northern for the third-highest total in program history.