Beat Chat: Q&A on Jaguars Rookie K'Lavon Chaisson With LSUCountry

What can the Jaguars expect from K'Lavon Chaisson in 2020, and how he can impact the defense?

To help fans get more acquainted with the Jacksonville Jaguars' latest draft picks, we are going to speak with publishers from throughout the Maven network to get the low-down on each of the newest Jaguars.

First, we talked about cornerback CJ Henderson with AllGators. Now we will be digging into the game of the Jaguars' second defender of the first round, LSU defensive end/outside linebacker K'Lavon Chaisson.

Chaisson, who the Jaguars drafted with the No. 20 overall selection, will be asked to pair with Josh Allen and potentially Yannick Ngakoue on the edge of the Jaguars' defense in 2020. To get a better grasp for his game, we talked with Glen West of SI's LSU site, LSUCountry.

Q: The Jaguars have said they'll be standing up K'Lavon and having him play both OLB and DE. Did he show this kind of versatility at LSU?

West: He did show that versatility but with his 6-foot-4, 254-pound frame, it's probably best that he starts his career standing up. It's not that he's not strong, he definitely is but you get a little more leverage and can exert his supreme athleticism around the edge a little more consistently.

Q: Chaisson's biggest mark throughout the draft process was his lack of production — he didn't even record 10 sacks during his time at LSU. What was the root cause of this in your eyes?

West: The main cause was just lack of experience and playing time. His freshman season he was a compliment to Arden Key and he missed his entire true sophomore season due to a torn ACL. This year he was expected to be the guy and he lived up to those standards. While he only had about 6.5 sacks, he nearly doubled that in tackles for a loss with 13.5. He was also asked to play more in the run game, particularly in the early part of the season, which meant not rushing the passer as much. With him not being the focal point, at least to start his NFL career, I expect him to have a lot more one on one matchups

Q: What areas of Chaisson's game are his greatest strengths right now, and where do you think he needs to improve?

West: Chaisson's greatest strengths are his athleticism and his multitude of pass rush moves. He can bull rush, sweep and just plain beat linemen off the edge with his elite get off speed and power. It didn't always translate last year but it wasn't for a lack of effort. Sometimes he was too fast for his own good as he would become off balance and other times he was trying to take on double teams, something he isn't equipped in doing quite yet. He will be able to drop back into coverage which should help his versatility but he could use some work in improving on his technique as well.

Q: The Jaguars made it a priority to draft players who are high character guys who can lead in the locker room and on the field. Is that what Chaisson did at LSU?

West: You don't earn the No. 18 at LSU if you're not an incredible leader and despite missing all of 2018 with an injury, Chaisson still earned the jersey that represents all of the characteristics in a leader. He's well-spoken, is always one to speak his mind, and made sure to have his unit prepared week in and week out. He's the high character player that Jacksonville needs as it looks to retool its defense for the future.

Q: How much do you think it can help Chaisson that he has one terrific pass-rusher across from him, and potentially a second one if Yannick Ngakoue plays?

West: It'll be good for him because he won't be the priority, at least at the beginning of his career. I'd imagine he'll attract more one on one matchups which should allow him to roam free in the backfield. Veterans are also great for a young player and Chaisson is still just 20 years old and trying to scratch the surface of his potential. Having those strong leaders and voices will help his development immensely.