Jacksonville Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke didn’t rule out trading back up into the first-round after selecting Georgia defensive lineman Travon Walker first overall, and it appears he saw an opportunity he couldn’t resist. The team traded up to pick No. 27 with the Tampa Bay Bucs to take Utah linebacker, Devin Lloyd.
The Jags gave the Bucs their second-round pick (No. 33), as well as picks No. 106 and 180.
Steal of The Draft. @Jaguars, you got a good one.
Congratulations, @DevinLloyd_! pic.twitter.com/DHd2QVHAam
— Utah Football (@Utah_Football) April 29, 2022
The Jags were expected to take a linebacker early in the draft, although they signed Foyesade Oluokun to a notable deal. At the same time, they released Myles Jack the week of free agency to free up some cap space.
Lloyd, 23, was a standout for the Utes’ defense in 2021 and garnered 111 tackles for them, with a whopping 22 of those tackles being for loss. He also was able to garner seven sacks and four picks. Overall, he totaled 256 tackles, 15.5 sacks, and 43 tackles for loss before exiting the collegiate ranks.
According to NFL.com’s scouting report, the Jags are getting a player who is tremendously physical and aggressive, is versatile, and is an underrated pass-rusher. As for the cons, they stated that he can take odd angles at times, plays with heavy feet, and needs to work on his body control, to name a few.
The Jags’ defense ranked 20th last season, and it’s clear Baalke wanted to make a strong effort to fix it. That said, he was able to land two of the best defensive players in the draft within the last few hours, and those efforts could propel the Jags’ defense into the top half of the league in 2022.