NFL Draft: Cowboys Hope 'Raw Talent' K'Lavon Chaisson Slips to 17
FRISCO - A cornerback ... or K’Lavon Chaisson. That's the choice the Dallas Cowboys figure to face on Thursday in Round 1 of the NFL Draft.
“Everything that I've done so far has just been raw talent,'' said Chaisson, the LSU pass-rusher, building his case while at the NFL Scouting Combine. "I've gotten some coaching but from a scale of one to 10, I'm probably at like a 3 right now. There is so much more I could get better in and I feel like right now I've gotten this far just off raw talent. And the skill-set, when it comes to coaching and the veterans teaching me the game, I feel like there is no ceiling to my game.”
The Cowboys seem to agree with the upside. That's why with Pick No. 17, Dallas would love to see the product of North Shore High School in Galena Park, Texas, play in his home state. But they also agree with the rawness ... and they also know that there are teams ahead of them who might steal Chaisson from them.
In fact, we hear there might be two teams in the top 12 might love him, too.
The same is true of Florida cornerback C.J. Henderson. The Cowboys would be pleased with him at No. 17, too. But he might be gone even before Chaisson. If both are gone? Dallas figures to lean toward corners A.J. Terrell (Clemson) or Trevon Diggs (Alabama).
But if it's Chaisson? Then it's about athleticism.
Chaisson didn't play much football in high school, choosing to focus on basketball. But then, as the story goes, he attended an LSU football camp the summer before his junior year to hang out with a friend. ... and was immediately awarded a scholarship offer.
Chaisson then returned to high school and topped the state of Texas with 15.5 sacks as a senior. By the time he got to LSU, he was dominant - again, largely due to athleticism.
“We watch tape and I'm putting a bunch of guys on their tail,” said Chaisson, 6-3 and 254. “I've got some power behind me, too. A lot of guys, when they say I'm just speed, they obviously don't watch film. I know I'm definitely more than a one-dimensional player. I've got speed, power, finesse. Whatever you want, I've got.”
Chaisson also seems to be a quality guy. He was an LSU team captain and wore the honored No. 18 jersey there.
“It's my character,” he said. “This shows the type of guy I am on and off the field. ... Ask any homeless person in Baton Rouge. I'm telling you, at least once a week I'm giving somebody some food. Not because of the attention. I never ask for anybody to record or tell anybody about it. It's just truly deep in my heart.”
And if the Cowboys have their way at No. 17? K'Lavon Chaisson will be deep in the heart of Texas.
