Oakland Raiders defensive line coach Brentson Buckner was not exaggerating when he said that Arden Key came within a whisker of 13 sacks as a rookie. At least, that's the former LSU defensive end's side of the story.

As a second-year defensive end under Paul Guenther, the pressure is on Key to produce sacks on a regular basis. The Raiders face off with top-tier quarterbacks in Patrick Mahomes and Philip Rivers, and the best way to shut down their passing attacks is to get them on the ground before they can throw the ball away or find a talented receiver for a big gain.

To that point, Key struggled mightily as a rookie. He only mustered a lone sack and didn't produce as expected, but the Raiders weren't willing to give up on the youngster just yet. Head coach Jon Gruden brought in Buckner to work with Key and hopefully get his sack numbers up to a respectable level. In order to achieve this goal, Buckner started by first identifying the areas in which Key struggled and compiling them into a handy video.

"Buck [Buckner] came and watched film, and he had a whole clip of my almost 13 sacks," Key said on Wednesday. "Where I fell, slipped, the quarterback got away. It was very nervewracking because I could have had a better first year, but we all learn from those mistakes."

The second-year defensive back has been approaching this opportunity to get better in multiple ways. First off, he's been working with Buckner to learn about all of the ways in which he can improve, whether it's positioning his hands in a certain way or utilizing a power rush. Second, he's been gaining muscle.

During his rookie season, Key weighed in at 238, making him one of the smaller defensive ends in the league. For comparison, Carlos Dunlap of the Cincinnati Bengals is listed at 280 pounds. That's quite the difference between defenders. Key knew that the Raiders wanted him to get bigger in order to become a true pass rusher, and he has been doing so over this offseason. He arrived for OTAs at 245 pounds and has since grown to 260. With this added strength, Key should be able to easily fight through offensive tackles and chase down quarterbacks. No longer will he be missing out on those 13 sacks.

“We joked with him about this today," Buckner said on the Raiders Insider Podcast. "He arguably missed 13 sacks. When I say missed, it was him and the quarterback and he either missed the tackle or slipped or something. There are ways to help technique-wise. This game isn’t all about brute strength. There are techniques to help you get one more inch closer to the guy, and now instead of just missing or trying to make a one-arm tackle, you can get both arms around and make a play. That’s what Arden is working on."

Obviously, the Raiders want Key to improve as a rusher, which is why they brought Buckner to town after a successful stop in Tampa Bay. Additionally, the front office added a first-round pass rusher in Clelin Ferrell that can line up opposite Key and help chase down the quarterbacks. campaign. The additions of Maxx Crosby and Quinton Bell could make it seem that the Raiders are going away from the LSU product after only one year, but Buckner doesn't believe that is the case. He sees greatness in Key but recognizes that it has to be truly unlocked.

“Arden can be a special guy," Buckner said. "Arden was a special guy at LSU. He was a special guy coming out of high school. He has the talent. Now we as coaches have to hone in and he has to hone in [on technique]. He has been working hard knowing that he can’t leave anything on the table. He can be a well-rounded football player. He’s getting stronger and faster and more technical. He wants to master the technique and disciplines of playing defensive line. That’s what it’s all about.”