K’Lavon Chaisson is signing with the Panthers

The former first round pick gets a fresh start

The Carolina Panthers are continuing to rebuild their outside linebacker group by signing former Jacksonville Jaguar K’Lavon Chaisson to a one-year, $5 million deal. Chaisson was the 20th overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft.

Despite his first round pedigree, Chaisson is very much in the market for a one-year, prove it deal as his career with the Jaguars has been underwhelming at best. He only started eleven of his 57 games with the Jaguars, recording five sacks and 73 tackles. Last season was his only multi-sack season in the NFL with two.

This is very much a zero risk, depth signing. If he benefits from a change of scenery then the Panthers will reap those rewards. If he never lives up to his draft position then the team hasn’t lost anything but $5 million of David Tepper’s money.

The strategy on defense is becoming quickly apparent: sign guys who either have proven or potential talent to low risk deals with no real commitments beyond 2025. This franchise wants to see what Bryce Young has. Fielding a defense is an obligation, not a focus. Expect more signings along the edge, but don’t expect the team to break the bank on proven, young talent.