The Jacksonville Jaguars have spent a lot of resources attempting to rebuild their defense in the last few years. The process began during the 2020 NFL Draft when they used their first-round pick, No. 20 overall, on LSU linebacker K’Lavon Chaisson.
To this point, things have not panned out for Chaisson in his professional career. After playing in 31 games in his first two seasons in the NFL, Chaisson missed half of the 2022 campaign, appearing in only nine games.
Even when he has been on the field, he hasn’t been very productive. In his career with the Jaguars, Chaisson has totaled 60 tackles with 3.0 sacks, seven tackles for loss and 15 quarterback hits.
His defensive snap counts have also decreased every year. As a rookie, Chaisson played 58 percent of the defensive snaps. In Year 2, despite starting more games, that percentage dropped to 39 before bottoming out at 18 percent last season.
It would be fair to guess that the former first-rounder is no longer in the Jaguars’ long-term plans. They even declined the fifth-year option on his rookie contract, which will make him a free agent in 2024.
Despite all of the signs pointing toward this being a partnership that will end after the 2023 season, Chaisson is doing everything he can to change that. With the opportunity to get on the field more during OTAs and minicamp, the LSU product stood out according to Michael DiRocco of ESPN.
“With edge rusher Josh Allen skipping OTAs, Chaisson got a lot more work. The coaching staff noticed a difference in the 2020 first-round pick. Assistants Brentson Buckner (defensive line) and Bill Shuey (outside linebackers) said they’re expecting Chaisson to be one of the most improved players on the team.
“I look forward to him having a big year this year,” Buckner said.”
Catching the attention of his coaches can only help Chaisson in his pursuit of getting on the field more in 2023. The team used another first-round pick on Travon Walker in 2022, but the opportunity exists for him to be a part of the mix up front this year.
All players develop at different paces. Maybe it took Chaisson a little longer to adapt to life in the NFL than others. But, if he is going to have a breakout campaign, this is the time to do it as he prepares for free agency next year.
