Being a first-round pick sounds great. But it doesn’t mean much. Whether they live up to this status is still a wrong decision. One the Jaguars lost after just five sacks in four years with K’Lavon Chaisson. So they let him go.

The LSU star then signed with the Carolina Panthers and was once again without a team shortly before the start of the season. That’s when the Raiders, who had just lost their breakout star Malcolm Koonce to injury, signed him to their practice squad.

From there, Chaisson earned his chance on the active roster, signing a month after his initial signing. Since then he has more than earned his right to stay.

Two weeks ago against the rival Chiefs in Kansas City, Chaisson set career highs in sacks (1.5) and tackles for loss (three). When he stepped up last week after Maxx Crosby was sidelined due to injury, he played a career-high 57 snaps and only missed one snap.

Chaisson will then face the same Jaguars team this week that made him their top pick in LSU and that gave up on him after last season.

“Of course it’s personal for him. “It’s the team that picked him and let him go,” Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce said of Chaisson. “But I’m just talking about KC, the player for us. I think he’s done a great job since he’s been here Last month he caused quite a bit of havoc intercepting the quarterback and obviously tackling him, but in the running game he’s been a bright spot for us with all the injuries But I think he has found his home here and we are happy to have him by our side.

The Jaguars come to Allegiant Stadium on Sunday and Chaisson will wait, hoping to show his former team that he lives up to the talent they expected when they drafted them with the 20th overall pick in 2020.

Be it because Chaisson had a wake-up call and changed his career, or because he simply needed to be in the right situation with the right team to rediscover his talent.

“I think it’s the same when you put your arm around him. I love him,” Pierce said of the rise Chaisson has made since joining the Raiders. “And also the culture and the way the locker room and the dline group… is a very tight-knit group. Even when Maxx (Crosby) and Christian (Wilkins) aren’t there, these guys are always there and doing things together all the time. It’s him.” just fits in somehow.

“I think initially he tried to find his way and then once he found his way, we are now reaping the benefits of his game. He’s happy, he’s kind of finding himself. He says, ‘I want to be a raider.’ And that’s a good thing. That’s what you want when you bring in people who didn’t work out. Because if it doesn’t work, many first-timers simply fall by the wayside and feel sorry for themselves. He took advantage of every opportunity.”

Chaisson should get plenty of opportunities to compete against his former team on Sunday. He will likely start on defense opposite another former first-round pick, Tyree Wilson.

This article originally appeared on Raiders Wire: ‘It’s personal’ for Raiders’ resurgent former first-round pick opponent team that drafted gave up on him