Arden Key is officially under contract with the Raiders. On Friday, Oakland announced the signing of the third-round defensive end.
Heading into draft season, Key was widely projected as a first-round pick. However, his rocky 2017 season at LSU damaged his stock. In his final year on campus, Key spent time in rehab, injured his shoulder, and porked up from 235 lbs to 270.
However, given his 2016 performance – 12.5 tackles for loss and eleven sacks – the Raiders believe they have a draft steal on their hands. The athletic youngster will serve as a reserve behind Khalil Mack and Bruce Irvin in his first year, joining Mario Edwards, Tank Carradine, and possibly Frostee Rucker as bench DEs.
With Key under contract, the Raiders have now signed every player in their 2018 draft class. Here’s the complete rundown, via PFR’s tracker:
- 1-15: Kolton Miller, T (UCLA): Signed
- 2-57: P.J. Hall, DT (Sam Houston State): Signed
- 3-65: Brandon Parker, T (North Carolina A&T): Signed
- 3-87: Arden Key, DE (LSU): Signed
- 4-110: Nick Nelson, CB (Wisconsin): Signed
- 5-140: Maurice Hurst, DT (Michigan): Signed
- 5-173: Johnny Townsend, P (Florida): Signed
- 6-216: Azeem Victor, LB (Washington): Signed
- 7-228: Marcell Ateman, WR (Oklahoma State): Signed
Key could be a big weapon if Mack shows up.