INSTANT RECATION: JAGUARS SELECT K'LAVON CHAISSON

K'Lavon Chaisson (Andy Altenburger/Icon Sportswire)

The Jaguars added a talented young pass rusher with their second pick in round one. 

BY JORDAN DE LUGO

---

The Jaguars put their stamp on the 2020 NFL Draft by taking the polarizing cornerback prospect from Florida, CJ Henderson, with the ninth overall pick. With their cornerback group solidified at the top, Jacksonville elected to address their pass rush with LSU defensive end/outside linebacker K'Lavon Chaisson. 

The 20-year-old pass rusher missed most of 2018 with a torn ACL. But he came on strong in 2019, putting up 6.5 sacks and 13.5 tackles for loss in his redshirt sophomore season at LSU. Chaisson dominated down the stretch, showing plenty of strength and athletic ability at 6'3'' and 254 pounds. Chaisson will need to develop a more defined pass rush skill set at the next level, but he has all the tools to become an elite edge defender. Bend around the edge? Check. Speed to power? Check. Chaisson will excel against the run and when asked to cover down the field.

The Jaguars are looking to expand their 3-4 package in 2020, and Chaisson will be able to help in that regard. His versatility could be crucial in those situations. The young defender could find his way into the starting lineup from day one and should be able to excel on all downs. 

With Henderson and Chaisson in the mix, the Jaguars continued going back to the well at Florida and LSU. And they continued to emphasize defense early in the draft. These two talented defenders from the SEC should help the Jaguars' defense return to prominence sooner rather than later. And it's no coincidence that Henderson and Chaisson play the same positions as Jalen Ramsey and Yannick Ngakoue (who won't play again in Jacksonville). 

The Jaguars have ten draft picks remaining, two of which — numbers 42 and 73 overall — are slated for day two of the draft on Friday. They'll need to get Gardner Minshew some help on offense, something I would have tried to do on day one. The Jags could still use help at wide receiver and on the offensive line. 

Follow Jordan on Twitter for all the latest Jaguars news and analysis.