The Oakland Raiders struck seven different trades during the 2018 NFL Draft, so it can be a bit tough to keep up with what trades resulted in what picks being sent where. One thing that's easily memorable, though, is how the Raiders landed former LSU pass-rusher Arden Key.

Now, Jon Gruden and the Raiders coaching staff are surely hoping that Key produces at a level so high it leaves fans unable to ever forget the moment the Silver and Black struck the deal to draft him.

Oakland moved up just two spots, from No. 89 to 87 in the third round to make sure no one else had the chance to jump them, or that the Green Bay Packers didn't take their newest pass rusher at No. 88.

And after hearing Gruden speak about his newest defensive end, it's easy to understand why the team felt that giving up a seventh-round pick to jump up those two spots was more than worth it. As Scott Bair of NBC Sports Bay Area quoted, Gruden had some serious rave reviews on Key and is obviously a big believer that he'll develop into a strong NFL player.

“Two years ago, his tape was unbelievable,” Raiders head coach Jon Gruden said last week after Key’s selection. “He was a heck of a football player. He gained 25 or 26 pounds – he bulked up. I think he tried to add a different dimension to his game size-wise. Perhaps it backfired, he got hurt and there were issues there. He underachieved his year, but I go back to the film two years ago – the kid is special – and I know the man that’s been training him. "I’ve got a lot of confidence in (defensive coordinator) Paul Guenther and (defensive line coach) Mike Trgovac. They’ve done this a long time, they’ve developed players like this.”

It's hard not to be on board with the selection of Key, even if it's just based purely on upside and potential.

During his final season with the Tigers, Key's on-field production took a hit due to shoulder surgery and a knee injury, which resulted in him playing in just eight games.

But the bigger concern is what happened in the lead-up to the season. The talented defensive end opted to step away from the team before the year and voluntarily enter himself into rehab for marijuana use. He returned to the team overweight, as Gruden touched on, and didn't look like the same player who had racked up 55 tackles, 12.5 for loss and 11 sacks in 2016.

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Key looks to be in shape and back to his former weight, and the fact that the Raiders have the luxury to bring him along at their own pace due to Khalil Mack and Bruce Irvin locked in as starters will benefit the rookie in a big way. While the LSU standout will surely see playing time in 2018, how much that winds up being will depend on his own ability to develop as an NFL pass-rusher.

Time will tell, but based on Gruden's comments, the future looks bright for Key, assuming he can live up to the hype which he earned from his superb 2016 season.