3 Pass Rushing Prospects the Cardinals Could Pair With Chandler Jones
By Thomas Clark
Arden Key: LSU
Unlike Davenport and Landry, Arden Key’s biggest red flags have little to do with his on the field performance, when healthy. Key, who left the LSU Football team for personal reasons early in 2017, battled injury issues throughout the season after returning to the team.
Appearing in only 8 games throughout his final season in Baton Rouge, Key registered only 4 sacks, a far cry from his stellar sophomore campaign in which he recorded 12.5 sacks and three forced fumbles. Known for his vicious hits, he has the size and length to develop into a dominant pass rusher at the next level.
For me, Key checks a lot of boxes. Much like Landry, Key does much of his damage on the edge, but at 6’6’’ Key has the length to develop a repertoire of rush moves.
The biggest knock on Key is his commitment to football and his injury riddled college career. Even after returning from injury in 2017, Key failed to maintain an ideal playing weight, and never returned to his 2016 form.
Final Verdict: If Key were draft eligible after his terrific 2016 season, the Cardinals wouldn’t even have a shot at him. Now Key, once thought of as a top-ten pick, will likely drop out of the first round altogether.
Next: Arizona Cardinals preseason schedule released
If the Cardinals elect to address other needs in the first round, Key may be available for them in the second. I will admit, I am highly concerned with Key’s football commitment and durability. All things considered, Key is LSU’s most polarizing prospect since Tyrann Mathieu, it worked out well for the Cardinals last time.