Oakland Raiders: How Arden Key compares to Carl Lawson

Oakland Raiders defensive end Arden Key added 15 pounds in about two months. How does he compare to Carl Lawson in Paul Guenther’s scheme?

Oakland Raiders defensive end Arden Key has been on weight watchers—in a literal sense. Throughout the offseason, discussion about his size at 6-5, 238 pounds (as listed on the team’s website) became a hot topic of discussion.

Head coach Jon Gruden added fuel to fire when he provided a preferred weight level for Key during mandatory minicamp, per Vic Tafur of The Athletic, saying he hoped the see the LSU product “at 260 one day.”

Defensive coordinator Paul Guenther had a slightly different expectation going into the upcoming season, per Tafur.

"“(Key’s) right where we’re at,” Guenther said. “I know there are some reports where (they say) he’s light. We drafted Arden to be a third-down rusher. That’s what it was. You don’t want a 260-pound slug out there.”"

Apparently, Key satisfied a mandate to bulk up — specifically Gruden’s wishes, per Las Vegas Review-Journal‘s Michael Gehlken:

We’ll see if Key maintains his new weight level or adds more pounds before training camp. For now, we can surmise the Raiders wanted a bigger defender on the end. About 20 pounds heavier than last season, the LSU product must translate his physical improvements to on-field production.

Defensive line coach Brentson Buckner went to the tape with Key, pointing out the faults in his fundamental approach, per NBCS Bay Area’s Scott Bair.

"That’s all ‘Buck’ has been teaching me as far as my angles. “He started off with how I missed the sacks just by my alignment. The ball isn’t snapped yet, I just missed the sack already by (how I lined up). Whether I was too wide, too tight, I didn’t turn my hips enough or I didn’t reach for him, turn my hips and different things like that. Most of it was just alignment and knowing what angles to take. Football is all about angles."

As a more refined pass-rusher, Key should resemble Cincinnati Bengals hybrid defender Carl Lawson. During his first season under Guenther, he registered 8.5 sacks and flourished in a rotational role, lining up for 41.62 percent of the team’s defensive snaps.

When comparing the two defenders in size, Lawson lists 6-2, 265 pounds compared to Key’s current 6-5, 260 pounds; Buckner will tighten up the latter’s technique to turn those near-sacks into game-changing takedowns.

It’s worth mentioning Lawson transitioned from a collegiate defensive end to a strong-side linebacker during his rookie term in Cincinnati. Key stood up in a 3-4 alignment at LSU, though, he’s added enough size to potentially handle the weak side on a four-man defensive line. Nonetheless, their roles under Guenther seem similar in responsibility.

Guenther called Key a “third-down rusher”, but that doesn’t mean he’s going to have little effect in games. As witnessed with Lawson, the 23-year old can rack up sacks if Buckner corrects his angles on the quarterback.

If Key maintains his quickness, he’s equipped to slip blocks and bring down quarterbacks. Going into his second training camp, the bulked up defensive end may not play 62.65 percent of the defensive snaps like last year, but Buckner will help him prepare for a varied workload week to week.