You never know how or why something clicks for a player when it didn’t before. Some players just don’t work out for whatever reason with one team. But that doesn’t necessarily mean they are a bust. It could mean they needed a wake up call or just to be put in a better situation on another team.
That was apparently the situation with K’Lavon Chaisson.
The LSU star was selected at 20th overall in the 2020 draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars. After three seasons with just three combined sacks, they didn’t exercise their fifth round option on him and let him leave after his four-year rookie deal was up.
Chaisson signed on with the Panthers this past offseason, but was released just prior to the start of the season. A week later, he signed on with the Raiders.
After a month on the practice squad, Chaisson earned a contract and was signed to the active roster. And he hasn’t looked back. He’s proven himself to be a valuable part of this team and showing why he was once considered a top NFL prospect.
“Yeah, I think just really just the buy in,” Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce said of Chaisson’s progress.
“Just watching him go through the progression, really buying into our technique, what we’re asking him to do. And we’ve done a lot with him. I mean he’s dropped, he’s rushed, he’s peeled on the backs. I mean, he’s done a lot, interception, dropped one against [Jacksonville] that I know he wants back, but he’s been a pleasant surprise.
“Obviously, the physical traits are there, but just the mentality, really good in the locker room. Probably one of the better players that we didn’t talk about after the Saints game, that before the game, just the message that he was talking about was really good for our team.”
Chaisson is a great story. He has been on a tear lately, putting up four sacks over the last five games, including twice getting to Patrick Mahomes and getting one against his former team.
Overall, Chaisson has five sacks in 14 appearances this season which matches his entire career total over 57 games with the Jaguars. He has career highs across the board including eight QB hits, 31 tackles, seven tackles for loss, one interception, two pass breakups, and one forced fumble.
Either he’s played himself into a new deal with the Raiders or a better deal elsewhere this offseason.