Jaguars HC Doug Pederson praises K'Lavon Chaisson for getting a sack vs. Chiefs

The Jacksonville Jaguars fell to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 2 but there are many positive things to highlight from the game. One of them was the play of K'Lavon Chaisson, who registered his first sack of the 2023 season. The day after the loss, head coach Doug Pederson had praise for the 2020 first-round pick.

"It was a great play," Pederson told the local media Monday in reference to the sack. "I think plays like that can definitely be a confidence booster. I think it shows that he's definitely capable of making those types of plays. And from a defensive perspective, getting him more opportunity."

"Rotating those guys a little bit more, so they're fresher as the game goes on. But plays like that, we expect guys like K'Lavon to make those type of plays, just like Josh [Allen] and Travon] Walker."

In general, the Jaguars' pass rush was productive against the Chiefs. Although they weren't able to fully contain Patrick Mahomes, they consistently applied pressure up front. Outside linebacker Josh Allen picked up where he left off in the opener, registering three pressures in Week 2. Defensive end Roy Robertson-Harris also tallied three while Chaisson had two. Yasir Abdullah, Foley Fatukasi, Adam Gotsis, and Angelo Blackson logged one each.

Chaisson, the 20th overall pick in the 2020 draft, hasn't lived up to expectations. In his first three seasons, he's registered a measly three sacks. Given the lack of impact he's had for the Jags, he's been the subject of trade talks since the end of his rookie campaign. However, the team's brass has kept him around hoping he can reach his ceiling.

The Jaguars will need to continue to trust K'Lavon Chaisson for the remainder of the year

Heading into Week 1, Pederson said Chaisson was going to be No. 3 in the rotation behind Travon Walker and Josh Allen. This made sense when you take into account that Jacksonville had no other viable choices. In the opener, Chaisson played 31 percent of the defensive snaps, and he appeared in 40 percent in Week 2, showing that the coaching staff feels comfortable plugging him on the field.

While it's hard to see Chaisson finishing the 2023 season with 10 sacks, he's off to a good start. He won't probably have a featured role anytime soon but he could become a solid rotational piece if he keeps playing like he did against Kansas City. Some players need more time than others to put it all together and Chaisson may be one of them.

Then again, it's been only one game and it's too early to jump on the Swiper bandwagon. Chaisson must prove that the Chiefs game wasn't a flash in the pan, and if he does, he'll see an uptick in playing time.

The pass rush rotation was seen as one of the Jaguars' biggest weaknesses heading into the season. So far, that hasn't been the case. Although Josh Allen and Travon Walker deserve lots of credit for their impact, the progress K'Lavon Chaisson has shown the last two games shouldn't go unnoticed.

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