LSU Football: 5 reasons Arden Key will be better than Myles Garrett

LSU football coach Ed Orgeron gave Arden Key his stamp of approval on Tuesday, but could he legitimately be better than Myles Garrett?

While SEC Media Days are a time to listen to the quotable coaches such as Nick Saban and Bret Bielema talk about anything and everything, they’re also there for fans to get a sneak peak at what the 2017 season could offer. LSU football coach Ed Orgeron gave fans a minor glimpse of what his defensive star, Arden Key, could bring to the table.

Although when he was asked about Key, he stated that he would be missing time due to an injury and even potentially a Week 1 game against BYU. Still, the defensive end/edge rusher is one of the top players in college football returning this season and could very well be next year’s No. 1 overall pick.

Could he be compared to Texas A&M’s No. 1 overall pick from the 2017 NFL Draft, Myles Garrett? If you ask Orgeron, he’d tell you yes. Heck, he even stated that he believed Key could be better than Garrett.

There’s actually some merit to that bold statement, so we decided to take a closer look. Here’s why Key will be better as a college player than former Texas A&M star Myles Garrett.

5. Key has added weight this offseason

The former four-star recruit took to social media this offseason to talk about the weight he’s been putting on. Just last year, he weighed in at around 230-240 pounds and now he looks to be closer to 255. With his 6-foot-6 frame, that’s great news.

On the other side, Garrett stood just 6-foot-4 and weighed in at over 270 pounds. He was a muscular machine in a smaller frame. Key’s added weight along with his tall frame should allow him to use more strength to overpower linemen instead of just trying to run past them.

Strength may be the main thing scouts are looking for to improve, but with 15 added pounds, presumably of all muscle, Key will be an even bigger force on the field this season. Not often do you face a defensive end with a 6-foot-6, 255-pound frame who can run a sub-4.70 40-yard dash with a high football IQ.

The added weight just puts him that much closer to Garrett’s level and he may just eclipse it during the 2017 campaign.