Pats Pulpit
Previewing the Patriots edge heading into his first season in New England.
With Christian Barmore missing most of the year and the edge group dealing with all sorts of issues, the New England Patriots failed to generate a consistent pass rush in 2024. In order to right that particular ship, the team made some considerable investments over the course of this year’s offseason.
One of those included signing veteran K’Lavon Chaisson in free agency.
Name: K’Lavon Chaisson
Position: Defensive edge/Outside linebacker
Jersey number: 44
Opening day age: 26 (7/25/1999)
Measurements: 6’3”, 255 lbs, 32 1/4” arm length, 9 7/8” hand size, N/A Relative Athletic Score
NFL: Jacksonville Jaguars (2020-23), Carolina Panthers (2024), Las Vegas Raiders (2024), New England Patriots (2025-) | College: LSU (2017-19)
A five-star recruit coming out of North Shore High School in Galena Park, TX, Chaisson drew considerable interest on the scouting trail. He eventually decided to join LSU over offers from Texas, Oklahoma and Stanford, among others, and went on to spend his three-year college career in Baton Rouge.
During that time, he saw action in 26 games with 17 starts and registered a combined 92 tackles, 19 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks. Earning All-SEC recognition in both of his healthy seasons as a Tiger (first team in 2019; freshman in 2017), Chaisson opted to forgo his final two seasons of eligibility and enter the NFL Draft in 2020. A highly-regarded edge option, he eventually heard his name called 20th overall in the first round.
Chaisson spent the entirety of his rookie contract with the Jaguars, but failed to live up to his draft status. Playing in 59 combined regular season and playoff games, he notched just five total sacks and later saw the fifth-year option in his deal declined. He ended up leaving Jacksonville as a free agent in 2024, but lasted only five months with his new team, the Panthers.
Chaisson later joined the Raiders on a one-year pact and managed to produce the best season of his career to date. His performance in Las Vegas set the stage to him joining the Patriots on a one-year, $3 million free agency deal.
Strengths: Chaisson offers solid size at 6-foot-3, 255 pounds and combines it with an explosive skillset at the edge. A true speed rusher, who has the burst, length and active hands to put pressure on offensive linemen, he knows how to bend the corner and find the fastest way to the quarterback. However, he also can get into opponents’ chests and convert his speed into raw power at the point of attack.
While explosiveness is the name of his game, Chaisson has shown the ability to stay disciplined with his eyes. This together with his linear speed and change of direction allows him to also be a potent stunt rusher and turn to pursuit defender in an instant. Additionally, he is willing to abort his rush and get his hands up to deflect...
