LSU outside linebacker/defensive end Arden Key has officially announced that he will enter the 2018 draft. Key is widely projected as a first-round prospect with a strong possibility of coming off the board within the first 15 picks. 
“Our sincere gratitude goes out to all of the LSU fans, the state of Louisiana, [Ed Orgeron] and staff, administration and most of all my brothers,” Key said in his Twitter announcement. “A special thank you to Coach [Les] Miles for giving me the opportunity to become a Tiger. … Excited to start my new journey and prayers that my LSU fam will continue to support me. To LSU Football, bring our state of Louisiana a national championship.”
Key stands at 6’6″, weighs about 250 pounds, and is still among the more agile OLB/DE prospects in this year’s draft. From a pure talent perspective, Key has evaluators drooling. However, there are some questions about his injury history and off-the-field activities.
This past spring, Key took a leave of absence for what LSU called “personal reasons.” To this day, no one knows for sure why Key was separated from the team. Key later had shoulder surgery and missed all of summer workouts plus the first two games of the 2017 season. He was also slowed by a broken finger and a knee injury during the year.
Still, Key is tied for third on LSU’s all-time sack list and possesses more upside than most in this year’s class. With a solid showing in workouts, Key could find his way into the top ten.
I’d love to see him make it to the Packers at pick 14
Oofah! This is a tough one. All that talent and all those red flags… I think Indianapolis takes him at 3 in a panic move.
I don’t think Arden Key’s off-field issues are nearly as extreme, but his situation reminds me a lot of Randy Gregory’s situation a few years ago. They’re both really talented pass rushers, but you have to weigh the talent with the off-field stuff and potentially a lack of passion for football.