Jaguars Sign Defensive End K'Lavon Chaisson and Quarterback Jake Luton

The Jacksonville Jaguars have signed DE K'Lavon Chaisson and QB Jake Luton to their rookie contracts.

The Jacksonville Jaguars officially signed defensive end/outside linebacker K'Lavon Chaisson and quarterback Jake Luton to their rookie contracts on Monday, giving the Jaguars their entire rookie class under contract. 

The #DUUUVAL Dozen are all under contract.

@S4CKGURU, @gamechanger021, @JakeLuton6, and @ChrisClaybrooks have signed their rookie deals. pic.twitter.com/zjVQLrBlZK

— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) July 20, 2020

Chaisson was the Jaguars second pick of the 1st round when the LSU alum was taken No. 20 overall. He's part of the Jags renewed effort towards defensive star power, joining CJ Henderson (No. 9 overall) as Jacksonville's 1st round duo. 

While in Baton Rouge, Chaisson tallied 92 tackles, 19 for loss, 9.5 sacks and in his final season also added a forced fumble. He was named the Defensive MVP in the Tigers semifinal win over Oklahoma and helped LSU win the National Championship. 

K'Lavon Chaisson signed his rookie contract on Monday. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports

Following the Chaisson pick, Head Coach Doug Marrone said of the pass rusher, "The thing about K’Lavon Chaisson that I really love is that he can play that SAM linebacker position in base downs and he can rush the quarterback. 

"He can rush the quarterback from a 2-point stance, and you could argue whether he’s a better rusher out of a 3-point stance. The one thing that I see is a really good future. I see a guy that’s a speed guy. Everyone knows that the best pass rush comes in waves, so we’ve got three guys that can rush the passer now. We have three guys that can play the zone read stuff when they’re trying to really put the pressure on those defensive ends. K’Lavon can play special teams for us, too. There’s so much he can contribute because of his height, weight, speed and what he can do." 

Luton was a late round add, coming in the 6th, to help create a deep QB battle at training camp. The former Oregon State passer suffered injures and shortened seasons that made his tape seem spliced together. But in 2019, with the Beavers, Luton finished with a 28-3 touchdown to interception ratio and a 62% completion percentage, becoming one of three finalists for the Mayo Clinic Comeback Player of the Year.

General Manager Dave Caldwell told reporters following the 2020 NFL Draft there were a lot of intangibles to like about Luton. 

"We liked his size, we liked his release, his arm strength. Bigger body. And we really liked the way he threw the ball at the NFLPA game, at the all-star game he was at. We felt like he has got some upside. He is 6’6”, 200-and 40 some odd pounds, and moves well in the pocket. We just felt like with those traits and what he could offer that he could come in and compete for a spot on this roster.”

Jake Luton signed his rookie contract on Monday. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

The Jags did bring in veteran quarterback Mike Glennon as well. That means Jacksonville will head into training camp with four passers on the roster: Gardner Minshew II, Josh Dobbs, Jake Luton and Mike Glennon. Marrone has said explicitly Minshew is the starter as of now but the battle for his back-up is expected to be fierce. 

Along with Chaisson and Luton, the Jaguars signed 5th round safety Daniel Thomas and 7th round return specialist Chris Claybrooks. With the quadruple signing, the Jacksonville Jaguars have now signed their entire franchise record 2020 rookie class, inking all 12 guys to their rookie contracts.