The New England Patriots were last in the NFL in sacks last year, and they made some major changes to their squad to ensure that wouldn't happen again in 2025. The Patriots are tied at 11th in the league in sacks per game with 2.6, primarily due to their free agent additions.
Milton Williams became the highest-paid Patriot of all time, while fellow interior man Christian Barmore returned after playing only two games last year. On the edge, Harold Landry was the marquee addition, while former first-rounder K'Lavon Chaisson was more of a flier.
As it turned out, Chaisson ended up being one of the team's best signings of all, a breakout I predicted back in July. The former LSU Tiger is having his best career yet and, despite missing a game, is still on pace to set a career high with 11 sacks. Landry's 5.5 through seven games puts him sixth in the league in sacks, while Chaisson comes in at 15th.
The Patriots are one of five teams with two players in the top fifteen.
The duo has been excellent, but, as mentioned, Chaisson has been the bigger surprise. He was selected in the first round by the Jaguars in 2020, No. 20 overall. He was moved around, from a 4-3 defensive end to a stand-up linebacker, and was asked to drop into coverage as well as pass rush. This proved to be too much for him, and he registered five sacks in four years. He equalled that total last season in Vegas and played his way to a more sizable deal with the Patriots.
K'Lavon Chaisson could be a big time free agent in 2026 if he continues this run with the Patriots
Chaisson has been one of the team's best defenders this season, and his fumble recovery for a touchdown paired with his two sacks on Sunday proves just that, as he was awarded the AFC Defensive Player of the Week.
More nuggets:
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) October 22, 2025
🏈 Chaisson is the first player with 2 sacks and a fumble recovery TD in a game since 2019
🏈 1st career Defensive Player of the Week award for Chaisson (6th season)
🏈 5th Patriots LB in last 10 years to earn honor (Hightower, Van Noy, Judon, Uche the others) https://t.co/6OE4uASEga
Whether it's with New England or elsewhere, there's little reason to think Chaisson won't be paid well in the offseason. The more difficult part of the equation is his continuing to play at such a high level. While he is likely benefiting from the trio of Williams, Barmore, and Landry playing alongside him, he's making the most of his opportunity.
The focus of opposing offensive lines will almost certainly be on the interior pass rush of Williams and Barmore, so I'd expect Landry and Chaisson to continue their strong seasons, particularly the latter.
As it stands, Keion White, Anfernee Jennings, and Elijah Ponder have been non-factors on the edge, and waiver claim Caleb Murphy isn't likely to uproot either from their position. Come the offseason, we could certainly see Chaisson get a deal worth upwards of $10 million per year.