Jaguars boost pass rush with K'Lavon Chaisson at No. 20

The Jacksonville Jaguars selected pass-rusher K'Lavon Chaisson out of LSU in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft, No. 20 overall.

This marks the third straight year in which Jacksonville has drafted a defensive lineman in the first round, following DE Josh Allen in 2019 and DT Taven Bryan in 2018.

Despite the Jaguars' recent investment in the position, they still entered the draft needing to bolster their pass rush. They dealt Calais Campbell to the Baltimore Ravens this offseason, while Yannick Ngakoue - who was recently franchise-tagged - has voiced his desire to be traded on multiple occasions.

Chaisson was named to the All-SEC first team after registering 6.5 sacks and 13.5 tackles for loss in 2019.

Prospect Profile

School: LSU
Height: 6-3
Weight: 254 lbs

Positives

• Incredible quickness and explosiveness off the ball
• Speed and bend to win around the edge in a flash
• Good use of hands for deep arsenal of rush moves - swipe, rip, long arm
• Impressive spin to counter upfield rush inside
• Converts speed to power for effective bull rush
• Nightmare to block working inside on stunts
• Slips blocks in run game with quickness
• Works through traffic well to find the ball
• Added value with ability to drop into coverage

Negatives

• Below-average size for every-down edge role
• Lacks strength in base to hold up on drive blocks
• Needs to develop better plan for when initial rush is stalled
• Doesn't have production of an elite edge prospect

Bottom line

Chaisson is an explosive front-seven talent who likely hasn't been getting enough hype due to underwhelming sack production. But sack numbers don't do justice to the impact he had on LSU's championship defense. Chaisson doesn't yet have the size and power for an every-down role as a 4-3 defensive end, but that's not the best way to take advantage of his do-it-all skill set. Stand him up on the edge of an odd front and let him do what he does best - everything.