K'LAVON CHAISSON LOOKING UP TO JOSH ALLEN AS 'ROLE MODEL'

K'Lavon Chaisson (Stephen Law/Icon Sportswire)

Josh Allen is taking on the role of mentor for Jaguars' first-round pick K'Lavon Chaisson. 

BY JORDAN DE LUGO

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The Jaguars' rookies have been at training camp for over a week now and have gotten in several on-field walkthroughs. That includes both of Jacksonville's first-round picks, CB CJ Henderson and DE/OLB K'Lavon Chaisson, who both spoke to the media on Friday. 

CJ Henderson was his usual reserved self. 

But a few things that K'Lavon Chaisson said struck me. The rookie pass rusher was asked about his relationship with ascending star pass-rusher, Josh Allen. "We have been talking a lot," said Chaisson. "We actually worked out a few times as well with each other. I kind of look at him as the role model, someone to follow, after all of the success he had. I can say that people have bragged about his character and the way he's displayed around the facilities as someone that I want to be looked at like that as well. Like I said, I look at him like a big brother and he's kind of helped me welcome my way into the league and try to be a pro as best as I can."

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Chaisson's comments are similar to what Josh Allen was saying about Calais Campbell at this time just a year ago. Allen was in Campbell's hip pocket throughout training camp in 2019. Now, with Campbell departed for Baltimore, Allen, the former protege, is becoming the teacher. 

Thanks in part to Calais Campbell's guidance, Josh Allen was able to have one of the best rookie seasons for a pass rusher in recent memory, leading all rookies in sacks. 

Can Josh Allen now pay it forward by taking Chaisson under his wings? It appears the answer is yes. Allen has been a team first guy since the day he stepped in the building for the Jaguars and now he'll have the opportunity to impart some of Calais Campbell's wisdom unto Chaisson. But Allen's presence — and perhaps Yannick Ngakoue's — on the field might help Chaisson just as much as his mentorship. 

Chaisson recognizes that having Josh Allen and potentially Yannick Ngakoue on the field will aid the young rookie. "Josh Allen had an amazing year last year, being a Pro Bowler and having Yannick Ngakoue as well," said Chaisson. "Those two guys who cause so much attention and is not really a side you can double team. Having a great Defensive Line makes a great defensive unit. It makes everybody's job a lot easier if a quarterback can't get the ball off, it makes it even better. So, playing next to those to guys is a blessing and learning from them too it only gets better and helps the team a lot."

The return of Sacksonville could be on the Horizon. But Chaisson will have to learn on the fly. He'll likely be inserted in the starting lineup from the jump, regardless of whether or not Yannick Ngakoue is available. Chaisson will need to play steady against the run, as he did at LSU during his redshirt sophomore season in 2019, but he'll also need to improve from a pass-rushing consistency standpoint. 

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