The Baltimore Ravens could stand to add some more talent at edge rusher and LSU’s K’Lavon Chaisson would be a terrific addition to the defense.
Breakdown:
When it comes to freaky athletes, you won’t mind many in the 2020 NFL Draft class that stacks up with LSU’s K’Lavon Chaisson. Not only is he freaky athletically, but Chaisson also has a ton of scheme versatility, a full set of pass-rushing moves, and an unbelievably high ceiling to dominate.
While Ohio State’s Chase Young is the undisputed top edge rusher in this year’s draft crop, Chaisson is the undisputed runner-up. Chaisson has everything that you could possibly want and has shown tons of growth in his stint in Baton Rouge. The only thing concerning with Chaisson is his injury history, but that may be the only thing keeping him from being an elite prospect… no, he’s still probably elite even with the injuries. This kid is that good.
Notable stats for K’Lavon Chaisson (full stats here) 2017-2019:
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- 9.5 career sacks (6.5 in 2019)
- 60 tackles in 2019
- 4.5 sacks over last four weeks of 2019 season
Strengths:
- Was granted the jersey no.18, a prestigious number at LSU that signifies leadership and good character
- A big, long frame at 6’3″ 254-lbs.; can easily put more weight on if desired; can scratch his knee without bending over
- A terrific athlete that gets the most out of his body; very fluid
- Lines up comfortably on either side of the formation
- Full toolbox of passing rushing moves
- Heavy hands with technique to disengage from blocks
- Coverts speed to power with ferocity off the edge
- Shows a willingness to drop into coverage and isn’t half-bad when he does
- Chaisson’s best football days are ahead of him; the sky is the limit for him
Weaknesses:
- Suffered ACL injury in 2018; ankle injury took two games away from him in 2019
- Lacks elite production (9.5 career sacks)
- Can be a bit antsy and try to jump before the snap; gets fooled by hard-counts
- Balance isn’t always there; can slip and consequently be taken out of the play
Fit with the Ravens:
You wanna know where K’Lavon Chaisson fits in with the Baltimore Ravens? Outside off the edge rushing the quarterback.
Chaisson is the complete package. You have to practically nitpick to find negatives to his game and he’s going to be a beast at the next level. The perfect fit for Chaisson would be a 3-4 defense that runs odd fronts and gets creative with blitz packages. Sounds exactly like what the Ravens run defensively.
I went into this evaluation thinking the Baltimore Ravens could trade up into the late-teens to get K’Lavon Chaisson. After watching him more, however, it’s inherently obvious that the Ravens would need to move into the top-15 to secure his rights. Even then, he could go higher than that. Chaisson is a dream fit to rush opposite Matt Judon on this defense and he’d be well worth the investment to move up for him.