Seahawks NFL Draft Profile: K'Lavon Chaisson

Desperate for a disruptive, athletic speed rusher off the edge to potentially complement Jadeveon Clowney, Chaisson would check off several boxes as a first-round prospect for Seattle.

Over the course of the next several months, the Seahawks and 31 other teams will be evaluating the latest crop of incoming talent in preparation for the 2020 NFL Draft.

Up next in our prospect profiles series, the Seahawks lacked a twitchy EDGE defender who could pin his ears back and hunt down opposing quarterbacks last season. Could LSU standout K’Lavon Chaisson fill the void?

Strengths

Playing with a motor that is constantly running hot, Chaisson looks like a road runner rocketing off the edge at the snap and gains ground rapidly. He possesses an explosive initial step and even against top-tier opponents such as Alabama, opposing tackles often drew false start penalties trying to get into their pass sets early to compensate for his upfield burst and speed.

A quick twitch athlete, Chaisson has the flexibility and ankle flexion to quickly turn the corner on tackles and engulf opposing quarterbacks. Thanks to his elite lateral quickness for the position, he’s also superb executing stunt games and consistently disrupted the pocket rocketing through the A-gap after twisting inside.

While it comes in spurts and he can be overpowered by stronger linemen at times, Chaisson can be a disruptive force defending the run, as he produced 13.5 tackles for loss last season. He throws violent hands and uses his length effectively to create separation against blockers, especially when setting the edge. He pursues the football relentlessly sideline to sideline and excels finishing plays in space, including making tackles coming from the backside of the play frequently.

Often playing in a two-point stance for the Tigers, Chaisson proved himself capable of dropping into coverage against tight ends and has the athletic traits to excel as an off-ball defender in a 3-4 scheme. With a chiseled 250-pound frame, he has the ideal build for a modern EDGE hybrid and has room to add muscle once he enters the league.

Weaknesses

For all of the physical tools Chaisson brings to the table, his athleticism and tenacity haven’t always resulted in the type of production scouts look for from elite pass rushers. He finished with a respectable 6.5 sacks during LSU’s run to a national championship last year, but only had 3.0 sacks in 11 games prior.

While he’s displayed functional counters, including spin, swim, and rip moves, he struggles to consistently deploy them and often relies on his pure athleticism to beat blockers as a rusher. Once he’s locked up at the end of a speed rush and the tackle sets anchor against him, he will keep battling but hasn’t shown the consistent ability to get off of the block and properly utilize his pass rushing tool box.

From a technical standpoint, Chaisson is far more polished as a run defender and exhibits the mindset necessary to hold serve at the point of attack. But to play as a three-point defensive end in a 4-3 scheme at the next level, he will need to become friends with the weight room and add a bit more functional power to hold up in the trenches.

His effort and bevy of athletic traits will allow him to contribute right away, but he only played in 24 games at the college level due to a torn ACL suffered in 2018. It will take some time for him to develop into a final product and he may not be ready to be an every down player as a rookie.

Where He Fits in Seattle

The decision to trade for Jadeveon Clowney was undoubtedly the right one for the Seahawks, regardless of whether or not he re-signs in the next few months. But ironically, the team struggled to find a capable situational pass rushing replacement for Jacob Martin, who was included as part of the blockbuster deal.

As the roster currently is constructed, Seattle has several base defensive ends to choose from, including Rasheem Green and L.J. Collier. If Clowney and/or Quinton Jefferson are re-signed, both of those players also can play the position as well. But even with as athletic as Clowney is, none of those players are going to consistently win off the edge with their speed like Bruce Irvin and Cliff Avril once did.

From the outset, the scrappy Chaisson projects to be a similar player to Irvin, offering situational pass rushing skills and the versatility necessary to drop back in coverage as a SAM linebacker right away. If he grows into his frame and sharpens up his pass rushing counters, he has the upside to be an every down LEO defensive end, making him well worth consideration at the end of the first round if still available.