Do Raiders Have Reclamation Gem with Chaisson?

Defensive end K'Lavon Chaisson has been an excellent development story for the Las Vegas Raiders in 2024.

Sep 29, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Charles Snowden (49) and defensive end K'Lavon Chaisson (44) stop Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) in the fourth quarter at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images / Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

Not much has gone right for the Las Vegas Raiders in 2024. 

Coach Antonio Pierce’s team sits at 3-12, but that dismal record is not even good enough to land them in the top five of the 2025 NFL Draft order. The Raiders will not play postseason football, so wins feel like devastating losses to Raider Nation. 

Not only has the team lost many games this season, but it has also suffered devastating injuries, especially along the defensive line. 

Defensive end Maxx Crosby has missed games for the first time in his career and will be out for the season. Malcolm Koonce was injured before the season and will not play in 2024. Christian Wilkins had foot surgery in October and has not played since. 

All three defensive linemen were supposed to be the team’s top contributors to what was supposed to be one of the top defensive lines in the NFL. With them out, the Raiders had almost no answer to opposing offenses. 

Almost no answer. 

The Raiders added defensive end K’Lavon Chaisson in September after the Carolina Panthers released him. A former first-round selection of the Jacksonville Jaguars, Chaisson was looking to keep his NFL career alive. 

He has done so with the Silver and Black this season. 

After an underwhelming four years in Jacksonville, Chaisson has shattered or is on pace to shatter many of his career stats. He has totaled 28 tackles, six for loss, seven quarterback hits, two passes defended, and four sacks. 

He has career-highs in tackles for loss, passes defended, and sacks for the Raiders. Pierce, Patrick Graham, and Rob Leonard's work with Chaisson should be a crash course in defensive line development. 

Chaisson struggled throughout his career because he is a “tweener” defensive lineman. He is not big enough to be a full-time edge rusher but is not nimble enough to be a full-time inside linebacker. 

The Raiders have turned Chaisson into a full-time pass-rush specialist, turning him loose on passing downs and utilizing his athleticism to create pressure on the quarterback. According to Pro Football Focus, he has generated 25 pressures, four off his career-high 29 he set in his rookie season. 

Despite a tumultuous season, Chaisson’s career resurgence shows the Raiders have the staff in place to develop pass rushers and defensive linemen. 

A fully healthy group could wreak havoc on the AFC next season.

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