Being a first round pick sounds great. But it doesn’t mean a whole lot. Whether they live up to that status is still a crap shoot. One the Jaguars felt like they lost with K’Lavon Chaisson after just five sacks in four years. So, they let him go.
The LSU star then signed with the Carolina Panthers only to once again find himself without a team just prior to the start of the season. That’s when the Raiders, who had just lost their breakout star Malcolm Koonce to injury, scooped him up onto their practice squad.
From there Chaisson earned his shot on the active roster, signed a month after initially signing. Since then he has more than earned his right to stick.
Two weeks ago, against the rival Chiefs in Kansas City, Chaisson put up career highs in sacks (1.5) and tackles for loss (three). Then last week stepping up after the loss of Maxx Crosby to injury, he played a career high 57 snaps, missing just one snap.
On the heels of that, Chaisson this week will line up across from the same Jaguars team that made him their top pick out of LSU and who gave up on him after last season.
“Obviously it’s personal for him. It’s the team that drafted him and let him go,” Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce said of Chaisson. “But I’m just talking about KC the player for us. I think he’s done an outstanding job since he’s gotten here. Bought into it. Rob Leonard and Andre [Carter] have done a good job of just fitting him in and over the last month he’s been kind of wreaking havoc. The passing game he had the interception and obviously getting after the quarterback, but in the running game with all the injuries he’s been a bright spot for us. Someone who has tier one traits of a first round pick. But I think he’s found his home here and we’re happy to have him on our side.”
The Jaguars come to Allegiant Stadium Sunday and Chaisson will be waiting, hoping to show his former team he is living up to the talent they thought they would get when they drafted with the 20th overall pick back in 2020.
Whether that’s because Chaisson had a wakeup call and turned his career around, or he just needed to be in the right situation with the right team to find his talent again.
“I think that also putting your arm around him. Loving him,” Pierce said of how Chaisson has surged since joining the Raiders. “And also the culture and the way that locker room and Dline group… that’s a very tight knit group. Even with Maxx [Crosby] and Christian [Wilkins] out, those guys are always in there and doing things together constantly. He’s just kind of fit in.
“I think initially he was trying to find his way and then once he found his way, we’re reaping the benefits of his play right now. He is happy, he’s kind of finding himself. He’s like ‘I want to be a Raider’ and that’s good. That’s things that you want to have happen when you bring guys in who didn’t work out. Because a lot of first rounders when it doesn’t work out they kind of just go to the wayside, and feel sorry for themselves. He’s taken advantage of every opportunity.”
Chaisson should get plenty of opportunities to get after his former team Sunday. He will likely start at defensive end across from another former first round pick in Tyree Wilson.