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2018 NFL Draft: Why the 49ers should pass on LSU’s Arden Key

By Joseph Naki

BATON ROUGE, LA - NOVEMBER 19: Arden Key #49 of the LSU Tigers celebrates a sack during the first half of a game against the Florida Gators at Tiger Stadium on November 19, 2016 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
BATON ROUGE, LA - NOVEMBER 19: Arden Key #49 of the LSU Tigers celebrates a sack during the first half of a game against the Florida Gators at Tiger Stadium on November 19, 2016 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images) /
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General manager John Lynch and the San Francisco 49ers will be looking to bolster the pass rush in the 2018 NFL Draft. But LSU EDGE Arden Key is not a part of the solution.

Yes, it looks like the San Francisco 49ers will have to select, yet again, another defensive lineman with their first selection in the NFL Draft.

DeForest Buckner, Arik Armstead and Solomon Thomas were all first-round linemen selections taken No. 1 in their respective draft classes.

Truthfully stated, Buckner shows much promise. But Armstead and Thomas are certainly no threat to opponents’ quarterbacks. In fact, in 2017, both Armstead and Thomas registered a humble 4.5 sacks combined! That’s less than Philadelphia Eagles rookie DE Derek Barnett, who chalked up five sacks in 2017, and Atlanta Falcons rookie DE Takkarist McKinley, who was drafted No. 26 overall in the 2017 NFL Draft, who recorded six sacks to his credit.

San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers /

San Francisco 49ers

Shameful, pitiful, unacceptable are words that come to mind when talking about the putrid defensive line currently on the 49ers roster.

Help needed in Santa Clara? Absolutely! And yet there’s a player the Niners would be wise to avoid solving this need.

At 6-foot-6 and weighing in at 238 pounds, Arden Key of LSU should be the No. 1 EDGE on every team’s draft boards. But there are true concerns surrounding the former Tiger, issues one can’t turn a blind eye on.

Lance Zierlein of NFL.com wrote:

"After watching Key closely for three seasons, it is accurate to say the 2017 version was the least exciting to date. Key’s length and ability to slither around blockers to threaten the pocket has never been in question, but this season he lacked the necessary suddenness and conditioning to project as an effective pro. There are red flags with Key… he has the potential to become a productive edge rusher as a starting 3-4 outside linebacker or as a designated pass rusher in even fronts."

In addition to Key’s lack of discipline, he allowed his weight to balloon up to 270 pounds and left his team for “personal reasons” for a four-month span.

Red flags!

If that’s not enough to pass on Key, check out Zierlein’s quote of an NFC front-office member:

"“You come back to the old question of what will a player do with more time and more money as a pro? Key’s background tells you it could be a big problem for him. Not only that, but he had seven sacks over the last two years where he didn’t have to beat the tackle.” — NFC Director of Scouting"

The San Francisco 49ers need edge help for sure, but Key is not the answer to the enigmatic pass rush.

The 49ers have scheduled a visit with Key and plan to work him out at LSU as well. Why on earth would general manager John Lynch even consider Key as a Niner is a mystery to me.

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If Lynch hasn’t learned a lesson in selecting players with a checkered past, then looking at linebacker Reuben Foster and his recent downfalls with the law, should be a wake-up call for the second-year GM.

Edge rushers available to the 49ers in the top 60 selections:

  • Marcus Davenport, UTSA
  • Lorenzo Carter, UGA
  • Uchenna Nwosu, USC
  • Dorance Armstrong Jr., Kansas

These four athletes are more than capable to fill the EDGE position in San Francisco.

Visiting and working out a player is one thing, but to actually select Key in the draft would have me literally jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge!

In my opinion, Key is not worth a 49ers selection in any round. They are not the Cincinnati Bengals!

Should Lynch and crew select Key in the 2018 NFL Draft, then fans should more than question the leadership of the 49ers GM.

Let’s not forget what Lynch did in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft.

By selecting Solomon ‘the project’ Thomas at No. 3 overall (overdrafting) and Foster at No. 31 overall (clear miss), what looked like Mesopotamia in the making, looks more like poor man’s stew for the masses to digest.

In fact, if Thomas lived up to his hype, then EDGE wouldn’t be the No. 1 priority in this draft!

I may be in the minority of questioning Lynch and his decisions on draft day, but there’s a good chance that both first-round selections Thomas and Foster are busts for the Bay Area. Add Arden Key to scarlet and gold, and we would have the trifecta!

People are held accountable for their decisions, Lynch is no exception. So let him avoid it altogether by passing on Key.