A former Jaguars first-round pick is likely on the trade block. Albert Breer of SI.com writes that “it’d hardly be a shocker” to see linebacker K’Lavon Chaisson traded during training camp.
The Jaguars had high hopes for Chaisson when they selected him with the 20th-overall pick in the 2020 draft. The linebacker was coming off a championship-winning season at LSU where he led the team with 6.5 sacks, 13.5 tackles for loss, and six quarterback hits.
The rookie was expected to take the place of Yannick Ngakoue, who publicly feuded with owner Shahid Khan’s son and was eventually traded to Minnesota. Chaisson didn’t do much to make up for his departed teammate, finishing his rookie campaign with only 19 tackles and one sack in 16 games (three starts). He took on a slightly larger role with eight starts in 2021, but he only finished with 31 tackles.
With Doug Pederson on board in 2022, Chaisson found himself struggling for playing time. He played in a career-low 217 snaps, with just about half of those snaps coming on special teams. He finished the season with only 10 tackles in nine games, and he spent a chunk of the season on injured reserve while recovering from a knee injury.
Predictably, the team declined the fifth-year option on Chaisson earlier this month, and the linebacker will now be fighting for a roster spot. The Jaguars used a fifth-round pick on outside linebacker Yasir Abdullah, and with Josh Allen and Travon Walker entrenched as the starting OLBs, Chaisson will have to compete for one of the final spots on the depth chart.
I think it’s so weird to mention a player who won’t make a roster as on the trade block