Top Colts of 2026: Arden Key Lands at No. 22 Spot Due to His Consistency Off the Edge

The Indianapolis Colts are entering a new era at the defensive end position in 2026 after parting ways with their veteran rotation of Kwity Paye, Samson Ebukam, and Tyquan Lewis earlier this offseason.

Third-year edge defender Laiatu Latu is expected to take the next step in his development as the team's go-to pass rusher and ultimately become the top-tier rusher that Chris Ballard has looked for throughout his decade-long tenure as the Colts' general manager. However, the starting spot opposite him remains up for grabs.

Paye, Ebukam, and Lewis are effectively being replaced by second-year defensive end Jaylahn Tuimoloau and veterans Arden Key and Michael Clemons, who the Colts signed earlier this offseason.

Clemons will specifically serve as the direct Tyquan Lewis replacement, a versatile defensive lineman whose primary position is on the edge, but will regularly move inside to the tackle spots as his defensive coordinator sees fit.

On the other hand, Tuimoloau and Key will largely remain on the outside, with both set to battle for the aforementioned starting spot opposite Laiatu Latu.

Today, we continue our summer article series on the Top 25 Indianapolis Colts players of 2026 based on projected impact. Follow along to see why defensive end Arden Key has made the cut at the No. 22 spot.

Background

Arden Key was drafted in the third round (87th overall) of the 2018 NFL Draft by the then-Oakland Raiders after a productive career at LSU.

He finished his college career with 130 tackles, 26.5 tackles for loss, 21 sacks, and 28 quarterback hurries, with his best season coming in 2016, when he logged 12 sacks and 14.5 tackles for loss.

Key had a tough start to his NFL career, where he started 10 games as a rookie, but would not start another game for the Raiders during his next two seasons with the team. He logged one sack, four tackles for loss, and 11 QB hits as a rookie, and managed to land two sacks in his second season, but a broken foot after nine games put a halt to his early-career development.

Key would appear in 14 games in his third season for the Raiders, but was subsequently waived ahead of his final year with the team after totaling just three sacks and eight tackles for loss in his three-year tenure.

Although all looked lost, Key said that being waived was the "best thing that could have happened," following his release, and he has proved that to be true ever since. In his first season away from the Raiders, Key logged a career-high 6.5 sacks and 5 tackles for loss as a rotational rusher with the San Francisco 49ers.

New Colts' linebackers coach James Bettcher was the 49ers' linebackers coach during Key's lone season in San Francisco, and Colts' defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo cited their brief overlap as a positive for his addition to the defense.

“Had a knack of getting to the quarterback over the years. Played against him a few times. Coach Bettch (Bettcher) was with him in San Francisco, so had some familiarity there," Anarumo said during veteran minicamp.

"But just a guy that's been a good pro over the years and gets to the quarterback. So, those are always guys we're looking for.”

After his brief stint in San Fran, Key continued his resurgence in Jacksonville as a key rotational piece in 2022, where he totaled 4.5 sacks and 5 tackles for loss. Those two years led to his first full-time starting opportunity since he was waived when he signed a 3-year deal with the Tennessee Titans.

From 2023-26, Key totaled 16.5 sacks and 21 tackles for loss in 33 starts in 45 appearances for the Titans.

Arden Key's consistency as a pass rusher over the last half-decade, a stretch that has showcased no fewer than 4 sacks and no more than 6.5 sacks in an increased workload, has led to his recent two-year, $16 million deal with the Indianapolis Colts.

The now 30-year-old defensive end continues his journey as a key contributor in the AFC South, and is aiming to remain a starter with the Colts as he battles second-year defensive end Jaylahn Tuimoloau for the opening job opposite Laiatu Latu.

Outlook

While I've slotted Key at the No. 22 spot on this list - spoiler alert - Jaylahn Tuimoloau is not too far ahead of him on the list, as I can see the winner of said competition going either way at this point.

Ultimately, I'm predicting that Tuimoloau will win the starting spot opposite Laiatu Latu, which is due to his upside in run defense and flexibility to thrive in Lou Anarumo's defense.

I still believe that Key will be one of the most impactful players on defense, but his efforts will shine brightest on designated pass rushes a lá Samson Ebukam of years past.

Lou Anarumo believes that Key can be an every-down player, but if Tuimoloau takes the jump like he and the rest of the Colts' defensive staff are anticipating, he'll be slotted at the top-tier rotational piece that he's proven to be.

At the very least, Key is expected to continue his recent trend and provide the Colts with 4.0-6.5 sacks as a key rotational piece off the edge.

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