BR thinks Jacksonville Jaguars DE K’Lavon Chaisson will shine in year 2
K’Lavon Chaisson was a non-factor for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2020.
When the Jacksonville Jaguars used the 20th overall selection on defensive end K’Lavon Chaisson in the 2021 NFL Draft, they thought they were getting a playmaker that would wreak havoc at the line of scrimmage. While that may still happen down the road, the LSU standout fell short of expectations in his rookie year. Nevertheless, Bleacher Report thinks the young defensive end will thrive in his sophomore campaign.
Maurice Moton of Bleacher Report believes Chaisson will take off in 2021 for a couple of reasons. First, the LSU standout will get more playing time due to the fact that defensive end Duwuane Smoot will likely become a free agent. Moreover, Chaisson will have a full offseason program to show growth and earn a more prominent role on defense. On the other hand, Moton points out Chaisson needs to diversify his pass-rushing repertoire to consistently generate pressure upfront.
The Jacksonville Jaguars need to put Chaisson in a position to succeed.
This past season, Chaisson just played on 51 percent of the Jaguars’ total snaps on defense, logging one sack and 29 total pressures, which is not the kind of production a team wants from a first-round selection. It’s true every player is different and some take more time to develop than others, and while it’s too early to call him a bust, he needs to become a bigger factor in his sophomore year.
On the bright side, Chaisson finished the 2020 season strong and showed glimpses of the talent that made him the 20th overall selection. Although he only registered eight pressures in the first nine games of the year, he finished strong and had 21 in the last seven, including a season-high five in Week 13 against the Minnesota Vikings.
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The Jaguars will add plenty of talent via free agency and the draft this offseason, but if they can’t solely depend on the newcomers to start winning games. They will need players such as Chaisson to step and play at a high level.