Ever since the Tennessee Titans signed edge rusher Arden Key to a three-year deal, it seems like we’ve heard nothing but rave reviews about the addition from coaches, teammates, and practice reports.
Whether it’s his contagious energy on and off the field, or his explosive playmaking abilities off the edge, Key has done a good job of standing out for all the right reasons.
Key is coming off the most successful two-year period of his career, tallying 90 pressures, 25 quarterback hits and 11 sacks since the start of 2021. Even more impressive is the fact that he did all of that while being limited to a rotational role with the San Francisco 49ers and Jacksonville Jaguars.
Despite his limited role, Key was among the most disruptive pass-rushers in the NFL whenever he was out there.
The LSU product finished the 2022 season with the third-highest win rate (23.2 percent) among pass rushers who only rushed the passer on a limited basis (fewer than 170 pass rushes).
A player needs at least 170 pass rushes with a line or a loss at edge to qualify for the PRWR leaderboard at the position.
Here are the non-qualifying leaders — those between 80 and 169 edge plays with a win or loss — in PRWR at edge in 2022. pic.twitter.com/ciDQeT0xaV
— Seth Walder (@SethWalder) August 7, 2023
For reference, had Key played enough pass-rush snaps and still finished with that percentage, it would have been tied for sixth in the NFL.
Key recently admitted that a lot of his recent success has to do with the fact that he became much more strict with his diet and overall conditioning.
Only time will tell whether this is just an offseason facade or if Key is truly on the verge of a massive breakout season now that he’s expected to have a full-time role in what could be one of the most dominant front sevens in all of football.
