The New England Patriots were quite active on Monday, but after the initial flurry of free agency signings waited until Thursday to bring another player aboard from outside the organization. That player is a former first-round draft pick coming off the most productive season of his career.

Let’s grade the signing of K’Lavon Chaisson to a reported one-year contract.

Instant grade: Patriots sign K’Lavon Chaisson to 1-year, $5 million max deal

Bernd Buchmasser: Chaisson never lived up to being the 20th overall pick in the 2020 draft, but he has some tools to work with: a long-framed speed rusher around the edge, he has the necessary foundation for success but has not put it all together yet. For the Patriots, it’s a gamble they can afford to take given their vast salary cap space. | Grade: B-

Matt St. Jean: A first-round pick in 2020, Chaisson really struggled to find any success in the NFL when his pass rush speed didn’t translate. That was until he broke through with some strong performances at the end of the year for Las Vegas last year. This is a low-risk, high-reward move on a player who’s a good fit for Mike Vrabel’s system. | Grade: C+

Pat Lane: Low-risk signing for a player who clearly has high upside, but has never been able to put his skills to use on a consistent basis. I don’t have high expectations, but it’s worth a shot for a guy with the traits that Chaisson has. | Grade: C

Chaisson is the second edge to join the mix after the recent signing of Harold Landy. They as well as Anfernee Jennings and backups Titus Leo and Truman Jones are the current outside linebackers under contract for 2025.