Jacksonville Jaguars: 5 players who must get off to hot start in 2021

Jacksonville Jaguars player No. 2 – EDGE K’Lavon Chaisson

The Jaguars’ defense had a hard time pressuring opposing quarterbacks last season. The unit as a whole was only able to muster a paltry 18 sacks. Thus, the team’s brass fortified the defensive front in the offseason. They signed Roy Robertson-Harris and Jihad Ward in the offseason. They also brought back Dawuane Smoot and Adam Gotsis. Furthermore, Jacksonville drafted EDGE rusher Jordan Smith.

Despite all the additions they made to the front seven, the Jaguars are banking on second-year EDGE rusher K’Lavon Chaisson to have a breakout season in 2021. The former LSU Tiger posted just one sack in his rookie campaign but finished the 2020 season strong, posting 21 pressures in the last seven games.

After mostly playing with his hand on the ground last season, Chaisson will now be rushing the passer from a two-point stance. He will be playing strong linebacker in defensive coordinator Joe Cullen’s scheme. The 20th overall pick in the 2020 draft should now be able to his explosiveness in his new position. During the offseason, he attended Von Miller’s annual pass-rush summit, where he had the chance to sharpen his skills and learn from some of the league’s best EDGE defenders.

Chaisson had an up-and-down offseason but showed growth in the preseason. He played 83 defensive snaps over the course of three games. He logged three total pressures and posted a Pro Football Focus pass-rush grade of 74.6. Josh Allen is the Jaguars’ best pass rusher but if they want to successfully rattle opposing quarterbacks, they will need Chaisson to step up.