Arden Key
![]() Key in 2023 | |||||||||||
No. 49 – Tennessee Titans | |||||||||||
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Position: | Linebacker | ||||||||||
Personal information | |||||||||||
Born: | Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. | May 3, 1996||||||||||
Height: | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | ||||||||||
Weight: | 240 lb (109 kg) | ||||||||||
Career information | |||||||||||
High school: | Hapeville Charter Career Academy (Union City, Georgia) | ||||||||||
College: | LSU (2015–2017) | ||||||||||
NFL draft: | 2018 / Round: 3 / Pick: 87 | ||||||||||
Career history | |||||||||||
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Roster status: | Active | ||||||||||
Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||
Career NFL statistics as of 2023 | |||||||||||
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Player stats at PFR |
Arden Key Jr. (born May 3, 1996) is an American professional football linebacker for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at LSU, and was drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the third round of the 2018 NFL draft.
Early years
[edit]Key attended Hapeville Charter Career Academy in Union City, Georgia. He recorded 15.5 sacks as a senior, eight as a junior and 12 as a sophomore. He committed to Louisiana State University (LSU) to play college football.[1][2]
Regarded as a four-star recruit by ESPN, Key was ranked as the No. 6 defensive end prospect in the class of 2015.[3]
College career
[edit]As a true freshman at LSU in 2015, Key played in 12 games and started the final nine. He recorded 41 tackles and five sacks and was named a freshman All-American.[4][5] As a sophomore in 2016, he set a single-season school record by recording 12 sacks.[6] He earned first-team All-Southeastern Conference honors from the Associated Press.[7] As a junior in 2017, Key was limited to 8 games due to injury, but finished with 33 tackles, 4 sacks, and a forced fumble. On January 4, 2018, Key officially announced that he would be entering the 2018 NFL draft.[8]
Professional career
[edit]Pre-draft
[edit]Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Wonderlic | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
6 ft 4+7⁄8 in (1.95 m) |
238 lb (108 kg) |
33+1⁄2 in (0.85 m) |
10 in (0.25 m) |
4.88 s | 1.75 s | 2.76 s | 4.25 s | 7.16 s | 31 in (0.79 m) |
9 ft 9 in (2.97 m) |
18[9] | |
All values from NFL Combine/Pro Day[10][11] |
Prior to Key's junior season, he was projected as the number one overall prospect for the 2018 NFL Draft by Chris Trapasso of CBS Sports.[12] In January 2018, he was ranked as the number two draft prospect at the outside linebacker position, behind Tremaine Edmunds of Virginia Tech, by Mel Kiper of ESPN.[13] Key was projected to be an early first round selection, but his off-the-field issues caused his draft stock to plummet.
Oakland / Las Vegas Raiders
[edit]Key was selected by the Oakland Raiders in the third round as the 87th pick overall.[14]
After having two sacks in the final two games he played in the 2019 season, Key suffered a broken foot and was ruled out the rest of the season. He was placed on injured reserve on November 7, 2019.[15]
Key was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list by the team on November 18, 2020,[16] and activated three days later.[17] On December 26, 2020, in a Week 16 home game against the Miami Dolphins, Key committed a 15-yard personal foul penalty when he grabbed the facemask of Dolphin QB Ryan Fitzpatrick on a play where the Dolphins gained 34 yards; the penalty and catch put Miami in field goal range and Miami hit one from 44 yards to earn a 26-25 win, which eliminated the Raiders from playoff contention.
Key was waived on April 15, 2021.[18]
San Francisco 49ers
[edit]On April 23, 2021, Key signed a one-year contract with the San Francisco 49ers.[19]
Jacksonville Jaguars
[edit]On March 30, 2022, Key signed a one-year contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars.[20] He played in all 17 games with three starts, recording 27 tackles and 4.5 sacks.
Tennessee Titans
[edit]On March 20, 2023, Key signed a three-year, $21 million contract with the Tennessee Titans.[21] He played in 17 games with nine starts, recording 30 tackles, six sacks, and two forced fumbles.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Dellenger, Ross (April 23, 2016). "Four star Georgia defensive end Arden Key commits to LSU". The Advocate. Archived from the original on April 4, 2018. Retrieved April 3, 2018.
- ^ Kendall, Josh (February 3, 2015). "'A lifetime decision': Arden Key picks LSU over the Gamecocks". Archived from the original on April 3, 2018. Retrieved April 3, 2018.
- ^ "Arden Key Recruiting Profile". ESPN. Archived from the original on November 14, 2016. Retrieved November 13, 2016.
- ^ "Twenty sacks or not, Arden Key will be a weapon for LSU's defense". Archived from the original on October 3, 2016. Retrieved October 2, 2016.
- ^ "LSU OLB Arden Key enjoying new defense". Archived from the original on September 14, 2017. Retrieved October 2, 2016.
- ^ Lopez, Andrew (December 31, 2016). "Arden Key breaks LSU single-season sack record". The Times-Picayune. Archived from the original on September 14, 2017. Retrieved September 13, 2017.
- ^ "It's a Sweep: No 1. Alabama Cleans up on AP All-SEC Team". ABC News. Associated Press. December 8, 2016. Archived from the original on December 9, 2016. Retrieved December 10, 2016.
- ^ "LSU DE Arden Key entering the draft". NFL. January 4, 2018. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
- ^ "Huge List of NFL Wonderlic Scores by Position". March 14, 2020. Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved June 10, 2018.
- ^ "Arden Key Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved August 21, 2023.
- ^ "2018 NFL Draft Scout Arden Key College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved August 21, 2023.
- ^ Trapasso, Chris (June 1, 2017). "An incredibly early look at the top 100 prospects in the 2018 NFL Draft: 1-20". CBS Sports. Archived from the original on September 3, 2017. Retrieved September 2, 2017.
- ^ "Mel Kiper's top 10 prospects at each position for 2018 NFL draft". ABC News. January 10, 2018. Archived from the original on March 15, 2023. Retrieved January 10, 2018.
- ^ "Arden Key selected by Oakland Raiders in 2018 Draft". NFL. April 27, 2018. Archived from the original on January 25, 2022. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
- ^ "Raiders promote linebacker Quentin Poling and place defensive end Arden Key on IR". Raiders.com. November 7, 2019. Archived from the original on November 9, 2019. Retrieved November 9, 2019.
- ^ "Raiders Add 7 Players To COVID-19 List Ahead Of Rematch Vs. Chiefs". CBS News Los Angeles. November 18, 2020. Archived from the original on April 7, 2022. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
- ^ Gutierrez, Paul (November 21, 2020). "Las Vegas Raiders activate 7 off reserve/COVID-19 list". ESPN. Archived from the original on January 5, 2021. Retrieved December 25, 2020.
- ^ Alper, Josh (April 15, 2021). "Raiders waive Maurice Hurst and Arden Key; release Kyle Sloter". ProFootballTalk. NBC Sports. Archived from the original on April 15, 2021. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
- ^ "49ers Sign Two Defensive Linemen to One-year Deals". San Francisco 49ers. April 23, 2021. Archived from the original on April 23, 2021. Retrieved April 23, 2021.
- ^ Alper, Josh (March 30, 2022). "Jaguars sign Arden Key". ProFootballTalk. NBC Sports. Archived from the original on March 31, 2022. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
- ^ Wyatt, Jim (March 20, 2023). "Titans Agree to Terms With Former Jaguars Defensive Lineman Arden Key". TennesseeTitans.com.
External links
[edit]- 1996 births
- Living people
- Players of American football from Atlanta
- American football defensive ends
- American football linebackers
- LSU Tigers football players
- Las Vegas Raiders players
- Oakland Raiders players
- San Francisco 49ers players
- Jacksonville Jaguars players
- Tennessee Titans players
- Under Armour All-American football players