Oakland Raiders: Who will start at DE opposite Clelin Ferrell?

Arden Key

The third-round pick out of LSU was thrust into the starting role after the trade of Khalil Mack — a role he was clearly not ready for. Arden Key as a prospect was someone who many believed had first-round talent.

Like with Maxx Crosby, Key is also an athletic speed rusher with rare bend and flexibility. And also like Crosby, Key’s biggest issue last season was his lack of strength and need to add bulk.

A big topic among Raiders fans this offseason has been how Key has shown up to camp not looking any bigger. What is strange about that is according to Andrew Lopez of NOLA.com, Key, “…reported to the Tigers in the fall, he was close to 265 pounds and eventually his weight was in the 280 range.”

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It was to the point where it was concerning how much weight he had actually put on, the complete opposite of where we’re at now. So we know Key can gain weight, but does it hinder his athleticism too much? Key is a speed rusher and losing any of his athleticism or speed will take the biggest tool out of his game.

The story of the season for Key was that he would get to the QB, but not be able to get him down. According to Raiders defensive line coach Brentson Buckner, “He arguably missed 13 sacks.”

What that tells me is that while he may need to gain strength to be better against the run, he was still able to get there rushing the passer.  As a result, strength couldn’t have been too much of an issue and Buckner goes on to back this up when he says the following.

"“When I say missed, it was him and the quarterback and he either missed the tackle or slipped or something. There are ways to help technique-wise. This game isn’t all about brute strength. There are techniques to help you get one more inch closer to the guy, and now instead of just missing or trying to make a one-arm tackle, you can get both arms around and make a play. That’s what Arden is working on.”"

Key was drafted to be a situational pass rusher — I’m not convinced the weight issue is as big of a deal as its being made out to be. A lot of his missed sacks were simply because he could not track the QB down. If he can improve that, he can be productive without having to bulk up too much and risk losing his athleticism.

Conclusion

In my personal opinion, Benson Mayowa will be the starter opposite of Clelin Ferrell to start the 2019 season. He has the experience and has gotten better since his last stint with the Raiders.

Ideally, Maxx Crosby impresses in camp and gains the strength necessary to start at some point in the season, relegating Mayowa to his rotational end role which is the role he is most suited for and excels at.

Many may think Key starting opposite would be ideal, but Key was never drafted to be a three-down end and doesn’t need to be as long as he can be an effective situational pass rusher. So what are your thoughts on how it will all play out?