Former First-Round Pick is Patriots' Biggest Defensive Sleeper

The New England Patriots have one very obvious sleeper on the defensive side of the ball.

Jun 10, 2025; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots linebacker K'Lavon Chaisson (44) runs through a drill during minicamp held in the WIN Field House at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images / Eric Canha-Imagn Images

The New England Patriots have overhauled their defense this offseason, clearly taking note of the significant slippage the unit displayed in 2024.

The Patriots paid special attention to addressing their pass rush, which makes perfect sense considering New England ranked last in the NFL with just 28 sacks last season.

While Harold Landry and Milton Williams were certainly the most prominent additions along that front, there is another acquistion no one seems to be talking about who could make significant noise in 2025: edge rusher K'Lavon Chaisson.

A former first-round pick of the Jacksonville Jaguars, Chaisson has not exactly lived up to expectations, as he managed just five sacks in four seasons with the Jaguars. But last year, the 25-year-old made his way to the Las Vegas Raiders and registered 32 tackles, five sacks and an interception in 15 games.

Most notably, Chaisson's production skyrocketed during the latter half of the 2024 campaign thanks to an increase in playing time. In fact, four of his five sacks came from Week 13 through the season finale. The Pats were then able to nab him on a cheap one-year deal in free agency, which could make him one of the biggest steals of the crop.

There is a reason why Chaisson was originally selected with the No. 20 overall pick of the 2020 draft. He demonstrated considerable potential during his final season at LSU, racking up 60 tackles, 14 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks in helping the Tigers win a national championship.

That talent was on full display with the Raiders late last year, and with the Patriots starving for pass-rushing assistance, Chaisson could prove to be a major defensive weapon for New England in 2025.

Now, whether or not Chaisson will get extensive playing time remains to be seen, as he will have to contend with Landry, Anfernee Jennings and rookie Bradyn Swinson for snaps. But there is no question that the Pats may have a hidden weapon in Chaisson.

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