5. K’Lavon Chaisson, LSU
Height: 6’3″ Weight: 254
40-Yard Dash: N/A
Bench Press: N/A
Vertical Jump: N/A
Broad Jump: N/A
3-Cone Drill: N/A
20-Yard Shuttle: N/A
60-Yard Shuttle:N/A
Bio: Chaisson slipped in and out of football in high school, but was offered a scholarship from LSU at a recruiting camp, and after considering offers from Alabama and other schools, that was that. He had starred for North Shore High in Houston when he did play, and the Tigers were clearly intrigued by his athleticism. A two-year starter at LSU, Chaisson earned multiple on-field and off-field awards (he’s put his name on the SEC Academic Honor Roll three times). On the field, things really came together for him in 2019, when he racked up 60 tackles, 6.5 sacks, and 13.5 tackles for loss. He was also a team captain, and was awarded the jersey number 18, which is given to the LSU player who “does all the right things.”
“It’s obvious,” Chaisson said at the scouting combine, when asked what separated him from every other edge-rusher in this draft class. “I’m going to be honest. I’m actually the most valuable player in the draft, when it comes to it. We all know that. When you hire someone do you want to hire someone who speaks one language, or do you want to hire someone that speaks three languages? I speak three languages. I do pass rush. I can drop in coverage and cover anybody you want me to cover. I can play the run. And no offensive lineman has ever just moved me off the ball or bullied me. So, I feel like that’s what makes me more dimensional. And a more valuable player than anybody else in the draft.”
Well… Georgia’s Andrew Thomas might disagree with the “no offensive lineman has ever just moved me off the ball or bullied me” part, but Chaisson does have a lot of value as a pass-rusher. He just needs to be more conversant in those languages.
Check out left tackle Andrew Thomas matched up against 1st-round edge prospect K’Lavon Chaisson here. Absolutely dominating in pass sets:#NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/9GXpQlfR7C
— Anthony Rivardo (@Anthony_Rivardo) April 3, 2020
Stat to Know: Chaisson had four or more pressures in each of his last four college games, but his overall production (51 total pressures over three seasons, and 35 pressures in 370 pass-rushing snaps in 2019) carries a bit of “buyer beware” with it.
Strengths: Shoots off the snap with speed and authority. When he latches on to tackles, Chaisson has a surprising and impressive bull-rush he enhances with long-arm moves. Can win consistently when he throws the first punch. Weird slap move to get free could be developed into an excellent rip technique. Has the 360-degree athleticism to chase to the sidelines and in space, with nascent coverage potential.
Weaknesses: Faces disadvantages in power situations as detailed by the Andrew Thomas clips above. Had the same basic issues against Alabama’s line — can get one-armed and buried against stronger, bigger tackles. If his swats or pushes don’t work, Chaisson doesn’t have any other moves to speak of — another reason he can be easily negated. Needs to be an off-ball player or edge-rusher — doesn’t bring a lot aligned inside.
Conclusion: Chaisson is one of the more intriguing, yet frustrating, evaluations in this class. There are times when he puts it all together and looks like one of the top three edge defenders in this class, but there are far too many instances at this point where he just gets bulldozed by blockers, and it’s not just against the better NCAA tackles. I’ve seen him get shoveled by average tight ends, and the overall rawness of his game makes me struggle when trying to give him a first-round grade. It’s the rare college pass-rusher who’s developed enough to allay any issues with his future development, but in Chaisson’s case, there’s a long way to go.
NFL Comparison: Danielle Hunter. Like Chaisson, Hunter came out of LSU with stupid-good athleticism, and almost nothing resembling a pass-rush plan. Over time, and used to his own benefit in a Vikings defensive front in which he could use his speed to the quarterback as he expanded everything else, Hunter become one of the NFL’s best pass-rushers. Chaisson has the same level of raw ability, and a similar developmental curve. It will be crucial to that development that he’s not asked to do too much, too soon.