Devin Lloyd – Syndication Server

Jaguars vs. Raiders: Key matchups

The Jacksonville Jaguars head into Week 16 against Las Vegas with some offensive momentum following a productive Sunday in their loss to the New York Jets.

One of the key storylines from the Jaguars’ defeat is their franchise record-setting rookie wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr., who has emerged as one of the best young playmakers in the league. Jacksonville’s first-round selection will be a high-level target for a healthy Trevor Lawrence in 2025 and beyond.

This week against the Raiders, the Jaguars have a chance to add another win to their lowly season total against a team projected to be selected within the first three slots in April’s NFL Draft.

Jaguars Wire takes a closer look at the key matchups ahead of Sunday’s late afternoon bout with Desmond Ridder and the Raiders.

Jaguars secondary and linebackers vs. Raiders TE Brock Bowers

This weekend will feature two highly regarded rookie skill players, Thomas and Raiders tight end Brock Bowers, who have quickly become franchise cornerstones on their respective teams.

Bowers himself is on his way to a record-breaking rookie season as he is just over 100 yards away from breaking Mike Ditka’s rookie record for receiving yards by a tight end at 1,076.

Against a Jaguars defense that ranks last in yards allowed (396.4), Bowers has a good chance to break the record this weekend. However, there is a way to keep this from happening for at least another week.

If Jacksonville wants to slow down Bowers, match zone and heavy man coverage will be key. One idea is to allow Tyson Campbell to travel with Bowers and limit his productivity or play match coverage on the second level against Foye Oluokun, Devin Lloyd, or rookie nickelback Jarrian Jones, who we highlighted in this week’s All-22 review.

Either way, Bowers is the best player on the field for the Raiders at the moment. Limiting him would clear a path for a potential Jaguars victory in the Nevada desert.

Jaguars RB Tank Bisgby vs. Raiders defense

With Travis Etienne Jr. back in the starting lineup, Tank Bigsby’s rushing production has varied. His highest rushing total in his last five games is 55 yards. Yet, he continues to create yards after contact and make defenders miss in space at a steady clip.

The Raiders’ rushing defense could provide Bisgby with a productive game. According to Next Gen Stats, they have the 10th-highest missed crackle rate in the league at 13.9 percent. Bigsby has the third-highest missed tackle rate in the league at 36 percent.

Those numbers translate on film as well. Bigsby has a strong contract balance and jittery footwork that allows him to create yards in space consistently. A noisy day from the former Auburn Tiger tailback could spell success for Jacksonville.

Jaguars QB Mac Jones vs. Raiders QB (TBD)

Close your eyes football fans. This is not the superstar quarterback matchup you might hope for this weekend. One of the paths to success for either team is which signal-caller can play a cleaner game.

There is a possibility that Aidan O’Connell will return to the starting lineup for the Raiders this weekend. However, Desmond Ridder could be in line to start again if O’Connell can’t go (or if Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce were to make another quarterback change).

Ridder was efficient on quick-tempo passes against his former team on Monday night, the Atlanta Falcons, going 11-of-15 for 114 yards and one touchdown in that respect, according to Next Gen Stats.

Yet, he also demonstrated why he is already on the third team within one league year. Far too often, he put the ball in harm’s way and made inaccurate throws.

O’Connell doesn’t come without risk either but is a more effective vertical passer, potentially allowing Bowers to see more production downfield. However, neither are particularly great options.

Jones is also a quarterback prone to making questionable throws, including two interceptions against the Jets. He enters the weekend with a four-to-seven touchdown-to-interception ratio on the season.

While he did give Thomas, second-year tight end Brenton Strange and wide receiver Parker Washington chances to make plays, Jones’ knack for turning the ball over at the worst times continues to plague him.

That said, if Jones were to put up similar numbers to what he did in place of Trevor Lawrence against Houston three weeks ago, there is a sound opportunity for Jacksonville to get its fourth win of the season in Sin City.

ESPN: What might the Jaguars do at the NFL trade deadline?

The NFL trade deadline is looming, at 4 p.m. ET on Nov. 5, under two weeks away.

The Jaguars have found their footing after an 0-4 start to the season with two wins in the last three weeks. Still, they face a steep uphill battle to emerge as contenders this year — only one team has ever made the playoffs after losing the first four games of their campaign.

Accordingly, Jacksonville is viewed as a potential seller with the trade deadline approaching. The Jaguars already sent defensive lineman Roy Robertson-Harris to the Seattle Seahawks in Week 7, and there remain players on their roster that could attract interest from other teams.

ESPN analysts and team reporters gathered on Wednesday to break down possible trade candidates and targets for every NFL squad, with the group concluding Jacksonville is likely to subtract players from its roster in exchange for resources over the coming 12 days.

“The Jaguars’ underachieving roster will elicit trade inquiries. Rookie-scale players like safety Andre Cisco, running back Travis Etienne Jr. and linebacker Devin Lloyd could be tempting,” ESPN senior NFL reporter Jeremy Fowler wrote.

“I’m not saying the Jags completely start over, but we’ve seen this script before with struggling teams. Jacksonville also has three starting-caliber offensive tackles, with Walker Little the odd man out. Teams are always looking for OT help.”

ESPN’s Jaguars reporter Michael DiRocco built upon Fowler mentioning Little. But instead of considering Little a trade candidate, he raised the fourth-year Jaguar as someone who could benefit from Jacksonville moving another player: Offensive tackle Cam Robinson.

“[Robinson] is a solid veteran (81.7% pass block win rate) in the final year of a three-year, $52.75 million contract, and the Jaguars are unlikely to re-sign him,” said DiRocco. “He could be a short-term rental for a team with an injured left tackle with the potential to sign to a new deal.

“As a swing tackle, Little (90.0% pass block win rate) has been reliable when he has started games for Robinson in the past, so he could slide into the starting spot without a drop-off.”

Robinson is currently in the NFL concussion protocol, which led Little to take over at left tackle for Jacksonville in Week 7.

Looking around the league, the team of ESPN analysts suggested the Carolina Panthers should be interested in Little, the Dallas Cowboys in Etienne, the Seattle Seahawks in Lloyd and the Atlanta Falcons in wide receiver Christian Kirk.

Kirk, Jacksonville’s starting slot receiver, has caught 25 passes for 320 yards and one touchdown this season. Etienne, one of the Jaguars’ top running backs, has rushed 56 times for 230 yards and two touchdowns while nursing shoulder and hamstring injuries this year. Lloyd, who starts at linebacker, has 47 tackles including three for loss, one forced fumble and two pass breakups.

But what if the Jaguars intend to add a player, rather than let one of multiple go? ESPN analyst Benjamin Solak floated Atlanta edge rusher Zach Harrison.

“The Jaguars likely won’t be acquiring anybody at this year’s trade deadline, but I suppose Harrison is a fine target,” Solak wrote.

“A 2023 third-round selection, Harrison fit in the Ryan Nielsen defense in Atlanta. But now that Nielsen is in Jacksonville, Harrison has fallen to 12th in front-seven snaps (85) for Raheem Morris’ defense. I imagine he’d cost little for the Jaguars, who have worryingly thin edge rusher depth behind Travon Walker and Josh Hines-Allen.”

Harrison has produced eight total tackles this season, after recording 33 tackles and three sacks as a rookie.

All-22 review: How the Jaguars can beat the Colts

The Jacksonville Jaguars enter Week 5 as the only winless team in the NFL following their 24-20 defeat at Houston last Sunday.

But not all hope is lost in Jacksonville as the Jaguars head into a potentially favorable matchup against Indianapolis.

Jacksonville has not played functional, sound football this year, although we saw the Jaguars’ offensive identity begin to emerge in their loss to the Texans.

This offense can balance the run with a dose of play-action and can take advantage of favorable explosive mismatches. If the Jaguars want to avoid sinking to 0-5 this weekend, their offensive game plan from last week gives them the best chance to win.

Sunday presents a Colts team without star running back Jonathan Taylor, likely without starting quarterback Anthony Richardson and with an underperforming defense that could lend the Jaguars their first win of the season.

Jaguars Wire reviewed the All-22 to present a few ways for Jacksonville to secure a victory against Indianapolis.

Lean on Trevor Lawrence and the rushing attack

The focus of this film review begins with the $275 million man, quarterback Trevor Lawrence, whose play is under scrutiny after a rough start to the season. It seems he is pressing as a passer, staring down targets and playing flat-footed at times. His footwork has certainly become a concern.

Lawrence has also shown to bail from clean pockets and put even more stress on his offense. Despite offering the pre-snap acumen required to operate as an NFL quarterback, he has been inconsistent with his post-snap awareness this season.

Some have called the former No. 1 draft selection “broken,” and while that might be the case right now, his issues are fixable.

Surprisingly enough, it is Lawrence and Jacksonville’s run game that makes the Jaguars go. If he can get into a stretch within games where he can play in rhythm more consistently, this unit will look much improved.

Using play-action more frequently could help with this as the Colts’ defense has allowed opposing quarterbacks to go 21-for-35 with 298 yards, one touchdown and one interception against such calls this year.

Entering Sunday, the Colts rank dead-last in the NFL in yards-per-game allowed, next-to-last in rushing yards and rushes of 10-plus yards allowed, and 25th in passing yards allowed.

Indianapolis’ defense has underperformed relative to its expectations which has cost the Colts games to this point. Jaguars running backs Travis Etienne Jr. and Tank Bigsby could be in for plenty of touches and big play opportunities, accordingly.

Jacksonville enters the weekend ranked No. 2 in football in rushing yards per play and No. 9 in team rushes of 10-plus yards. This is an advantageous matchup for the Jaguars’ run game to explode onto the scene.

Jaguars’ improved trench play vs. Colts’ underperforming defensive front

One of the bright spots from Sunday’s loss to Houston was the steady improvement of Jacksonville’s offensive line and the trenches overall. In general, the Jaguars’ front five displayed better consistency in pass protection while opening up rushing lanes for Etienne and Bigsby.

Offensive tackles Anton Harrison and Cam Robinson were specifically better, especially in their pass sets moving rushers beyond the arc and giving Lawrence clean pockets. The offensive line also did a better job handling games such as twists and stunts, displaying better communication on this front.

However, when the offense looked to run a play-action with a set-slide protection, the line did not wash defenders out as cleanly as it needed to, allowing pressure on Lawrence almost immediately.

Still, this was the offensive line’s best performance of the season and the unit must build on it, especially against a subpar Colts defense.

Defensively, coordinator Ryan Nielsen knows how to make offenses one-dimensional. That’s what Jacksonville will have to do against Indianapolis’ rushing attack.

With players like linebacker Devin Lloyd and safety Darnell Savage Jr. expected to return from injury, the Jaguars should be able to limit the Colts’ big play opportunities on the ground.

The Jaguars’ consistent defensive line rotation has generated plenty of pressure from the four-man fronts deployed. Rookie interior lineman Maason Smith flashed at times against Houston, including an impressive swim move in the first quarter that got pressure on C.J. Stroud. He could present an intriguing rotational rush threat on passing downs against the Colts.

Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker were fantastic last Sunday with Walker producing a team-high seven pressures on 33 pass rushes and Hines-Allen recording six pressures on 19 rushes. Hines-Allen cleared concussion protocol on Saturday and is set to play.

Target Christian Kirk and Brian Thomas Jr.

The Colts’ passing defense remains an underwhelming unit in 2024 and that should leave Kirk and Thomas licking their chops at the opportunity for a productive weekend. Indianapolis has allowed the fifth-most yards in downfield passing attempts at 13.3, per Next Gen Stats.

Kirk saw his targets increase from four and three in Weeks 1 and 2 respectively to 10 and 12 against Buffalo and Houston. Kirk is very good at setting up defenders with hesitation moves and fakes along with great short-area quickness.

Furthermore, Kirk is light on his feet and offers smooth acceleration in and out of breaks. He was open on almost every target last week. Pederson and offensive coordinator Press Taylor must utilize him in motions and grant him free releases to create potential mismatches.

Thomas is already the most talented playmaker on the roster four games into his career, as he flashed vertical separation and the necessary quickness to cut routes short and work back to the football.

Next Gen Stats shows Thomas is leading all rookies in deep directions and receiving yards this season while his average route depth is the third-deepest among first-year receivers. His 16.2 yards per catch rank No. 14 among all qualifying NFL pass-catchers.

When Jacksonville attacks Indianapolis through the air Sunday, Trevor Lawrence needs to continue looking Kirk and Thomas’ way.

Doug Pederson expects two key Jaguars defenders to return in Week 5

Jaguars starting defenders, linebacker Devin Lloyd and Darnell Savage Jr. are expected to play against the Colts in Week 5, Jacksonville head coach Doug Pederson shared Friday.

Lloyd missed Jacksonville’s Week 4 matchup with Houston while dealing with knee soreness. Savage has been sidelined since Week 2 with a quadriceps injury.

“Devin will be good, Savage will be good. Both of those guys should play,” Pederson said.

Lloyd recorded 21 total tackles including one for loss and two defended passes over the first three weeks of the season. Savage broke up two passes against Miami in Week 1 in his debut with Jacksonville after signing with the club in free agency this offseason.

Pederson also expressed optimism, albeit comparatively not as much, about Jaguars star defensive end Josh Hines-Allen‘s status after he entered the NFL’s concussion protocol this week. Hines-Allen went down against the Texans on Sunday.

“Still in the protocol. Optimistic though. Still has through another phase but he’s doing well,” Pederson shared.

Hines-Allen, who signed a five-year, $141.3 million extension with Jacksonville in April, has 12 tackles including one for loss and two defended passes this season, bringing his career total to 264 tackles with 54 for loss, 46 sacks, two interceptions, 10 defended passes and nine forced fumbles in 78 games with the Jaguars.

Although he practiced for the first time since Week 2 this week, Jaguars starting tight end Evan Engram (hamstring) is likely to be a game-time decision in Week 5, per Pederson.

“Evan I think is still day-to-day. He’s done some good things this week but we’ll get through today, probably will be game time,” said Pederson. “But we’ll see where he’s at as we get closer.”

Engram caught one pass for five yards in Jacksonville’s season-opener against Miami, putting him up to 188 receptions for 1,734 yards and eight touchdowns in 35 games with the Jaguars.

Jaguars vs. Colts: Thursday injury reports

The Jaguars and Colts each saw some key contributors in upgraded action in Thursday’s practice compared to Wednesday’s, a good sign for both squads as they prepare for their Week 5, AFC South matchup at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla.

Find Jacksonville and Indianapolis’ Thursday injury reports for Week 5 below.

* indicates status upgrade from previous practice

Jaguars injury report

RB Tank Bigsby (shoulder) — limited
RB Travis Etienne Jr. (shoulder) — limited
WR Gabe Davis (shoulder) — limited
TE Evan Engram (hamstring) — limited
DE Josh Hines-Allen (concussion) — limited*
LB Devin Lloyd (knee) — limited*
LB Yasir Abdullah (neck) — limited
CB Jarrian Jones (shoulder) — limited
S Darnell Savage Jr. (quadricep) — limited

Analysis: Jaguars starting defenders, defensive end Josh Hines-Allen and linebacker Devin Lloyd, were upgraded to limited Thursday after being nonparticipants in practice Wednesday.

They joined every other player on Jacksonville’s injury report in being limited Thursday, marking the only changes to the Jaguars’ list.

Colts injury report

OT Braden Smith (knee) — full*
LB Zaire Franklin (illness) — full*
LB Grant Stuard (heel) — full*
QB Anthony Richardson (oblique) — limited
RB Jonathan Taylor (ankle) — did not practice
C Ryan Kelly (neck) — did not practice
DE Kwity Paye (quadriceps) — did not practice
CB Kenny Moore (hip) — did not practice

Analysis: Three Colts, starting offensive tackle Braden Smith and linebacker Zaire Franklin and backup linebacker Grant Stuard, were upgraded to full participation Thursday after being sidelined on Wednesday.

Starting Indianapolis quarterback Anthony Richardson remained limited, while starting running back Jonathan Taylor did not practice for a second consecutive day.

ESPN insiders float five Jaguars in-season trade candidates

The NFL trade deadline is over a month away, on Nov. 5 at 4 p.m. ET.

But considering Jacksonville’s 0-4 start to the 2024 season, at least two NFL insiders believe the Jaguars are already nearing a position to sell.

In a Wednesday ESPN roundtable column discussing the trade market among other topics, insiders Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano floated five players they could envision Jacksonville shipping away in the coming weeks if the Jaguars can not turn their campaign around.

Prompted by Graziano calling Jaguars wide receiver Christian Kirk a potential option for the pass-catcher-needy Pittsburgh Steelers, Fowler expounded on the possibility Jacksonville could deal players approaching the end of their rookie contracts to collect resources for the offseason.

Fowler had four players in mind, three starters and one key backup.

“Another loss or two could leave the 0-4 Jaguars trading away players. This roster is not barren. I could see teams inquiring on rookie-scale talent, such as linebacker Devin Lloyd, safety Andre Cisco and running back Travis Etienne Jr. I’m not saying Jacksonville wants to move marquee players, but we’ve seen this script before when a team implodes. The Jaguars have three starting-caliber offensive tackles, with Walker Little as the odd man out. Teams always need offensive line help and will make calls accordingly.”

Given the sky-high expectations Jaguars owner Shad Khan set for the club before the season and how Jacksonville has yet to get off the ground, it is fair to wonder if he would green-light a fire sale by general manager Trent Baalke at this point.

As Fowler alluded to, however, such situations have played out with struggling NFL teams before.

Kirk, Etienne, Lloyd and Cisco each occupy starting positions for the Jaguars.

Kirk is in the third season of a four-year, $72 million contract he signed with the club in 2022 and is set to account for $24.4 million against Jacksonville’s salary cap next year after restructuring his deal in 2023.

After a slow start to his 2024 campaign with two catches for 29 yards between Weeks 1-2, Kirk has caught 15 passes for 140 yards in Jacksonville’s last two games. He has 158 receptions for 2,064 yards and 12 touchdowns over 33 starts with the Jaguars.

Etienne, a first-round NFL draft pick by Jacksonville alongside his college quarterback Trevor Lawrence in 2021, is in his third season as the Jaguars’ starting running back after missing his rookie year with a Lisfranc injury. The fifth-year option on his rookie contract, for 2025, was picked up in April.

Etienne has logged 214 rushing yards and two touchdowns over 47 attempts this season, adding 10 receptions for 48 yards. He is up to 2,437 yards and 18 touchdowns over 534 rushes and 103 catches for 840 yards and one touchdown receiving.

Jacksonville’s second first-round pick in 2022, Lloyd has started in 33 of his 35 appearances with the Jaguars, recording 263 total tackles including three for loss, three interceptions, 17 defended passes and one forced fumble.

Lloyd posted 21 tackles, two pass breakups and the forced fumble between Weeks 1-3 this year, before missing Week 4 with a knee injury.

Cisco was a third-round pick by the Jaguars in Etienne’s draft class and emerged as a starting safety for the club in his second season, 2022.

After recording seven interceptions and 15 defended passes in 30 games over the last two seasons, Cisco is off to a slow start this season with only one pass breakup in four contests. He has logged 17 total tackles, though, increasing his career total to 178.

Of the quintet, Little arguably stands as the most reasonable trade candidate as he has yet to carve out a full-time starting role in four seasons with the Jaguars, despite his draft status.

The 2021 second-round pick has appeared in 44 games, though, making 17 starts and logging 1,145 offensive snaps in the roles of swing tackle and backup guard. He is in the final season of his rookie contract with Jacksonville.

Doug Pederson updates six injured Jaguars starters entering Week 5

The Jaguars are banged up entering Week 5 and ahead of their second consecutive AFC South showdown, against the Colts at home on Sunday.

Jacksonville head coach Doug Pederson provided updates for six hurt Jaguars starters Monday, including confirmation that star defensive end Josh Hines-Allen entered the NFL’s concussion protocol after taking a thud against Houston in Week 4.

Running back Travis Etienne Jr. (shoulder) and right tackle Anton Harrison (ankle) will “be fine” after getting hurt in the Jaguars’ 24-20 loss against the Texans, too, per Pederson.

Linebacker Devin Lloyd (knee) was somewhat surprisingly made inactive before kickoff in Week 4. He appeared on Jacksonville’s injury report last Thursday and was questionable entering the game, although Pederson said Friday that the linebacker was dealing with soreness and “should be fine.”

“[Lloyd] had just a contusion the week before. It was kind of sore during the week, hopefully he would make it. Just went to warm up prior to the game and just felt like he couldn’t give 100 percent, so we put him down,” Pederson explained Monday.

Tight end Evan Engram (hamstring) and safety Darnell Savage Jr. (quadriceps) each missed their third consecutive game Sunday. Savage entered the weekend questionable but was downgraded to out Saturday.

Pederson indicated Savage did not suffer a setback, but rather, he did not get to 100% athletically during practice last week, leaving him sidelined for at least one more game. Engram enters Week 5 “day-to-day.”

“I’m hoping Savage [will be available in Week 5]. He went last week. Pushed it pretty hard. Didn’t feel like he could really open up last week – not a setback, nothing like that. We’ve just got to get him to burst,” said Pederson.

“Evan, I think is going to be day-to-day right now. Felt good today, we’ll see where he’s at here in a couple of days.”

Jaguars vs. Texans: Friday injury reports and game statuses

The Jaguars and Texans have deemed a combined six players questionable and five players out of their Week 4, AFC South matchup in Houston.

Jacksonville will be without starting tight end Evan Engram for a third consecutive game, and starting linebacker Foyesade Oluokun for the first of what is expected to be several weeks.

Additionally, three starting Jaguars — wide receiver Gabe Davis, linebacker Devin Lloyd and safety Darnell Savage Jr. — enter the weekend questionable. So does Savage’s backup, Jarrian Jones.

Houston similarly won’t have a pair of starters available Sunday, wide receiver Tank Dell and safety Jimmie Ward. Starting running back Joe Mixon enters the game questionable while his backup, Dameon Pierce, is out.

However, star Texans receiver Nico Collins intends to play after joining the injury report on Thursday.

Find Jacksonville and Houston’s Friday injury reports and initial game statuses for Week 4 below.

* indicates status upgrade from the previous practice

Jaguars injury report

OL Cam Robinson (knee) — full*
OL Anton Harrison (knee) — full*
CB Montaric Brown (chest) — full*
RB Tank Bigsby (shoulder) — limited
WR Gabe Davis (shoulder) — limited
LB Devin Lloyd (knee) — limited*
CB Jarrian Jones (shoulder) — limited
S Darnell Savage Jr. (quadriceps) — limited
TE Evan Engram (hamstring) — did not participate
DL Arik Armstead (veteran rest) — did not participate
LB Foyesade Oluokun (foot) — did not participate

Jaguars game statuses

WR Gabe Davis: QUESTIONABLE
LB Devin Lloyd: QUESTIONABLE
CB Jarrian Jones: QUESTIONABLE
S Darnell Savage Jr.: QUESTIONABLE
TE Evan Engram: OUT
LB Foyesade Oluokun: OUT

Texans injury report

WR Nico Collins (hamstring) — full*
TE Dalton Schultz (ankle) — full
OL Kenyon Green (illness) — full
OL Jarrett Patterson (calf) — full
RB Joe Mixon (ankle) — limited*
DT Folorunso Fatukasi (shoulder) — limited
RB Dameon Pierce (hamstring) — did not participate
WR Tank Dell (chest) — did not participate
S Jimmie Ward (groin) — did not participate

Texans game statuses

RB Joe Mixon: QUESTIONABLE
DT Folorunso Fatukasi: QUESTIONABLE
RB Dameon Pierce: OUT
WR Tank Dell: OUT
S Jimmie Ward: OUT

Doug Pederson shares injury updates on Darnell Savage Jr., Devin Lloyd

Doug Pederson shared updates on Darnell Savage Jr. and Devin Lloyd ahead of Sunday’s game against the Texans

Doug Pederson provided injury updates on a couple of Jacksonville Jaguars defenders Friday ahead of this weekend’s game against the Houston Texans. Darnell Savage Jr., who hasn’t played since Week 1, will once again be questionable to suit up on Sunday due to a quad injury that has hampered him in recent weeks.

Pederson said Savage had a “good day” on Thursday, but “it wasn’t a great day.”

“We’ll see where he’s at, how he feels,” Pederson said Friday. “Try to get him moving around again and give him one more day.”

As for linebacker Devin Lloyd, he’s dealing with some knee soreness but he’s expected to be OK for this weekend’s game. That’s good news for Jacksonville, as Lloyd ranks third on the team with 21 tackles and has also forced a fumble.

The Jaguars visit the Texans at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday as they continue to search for their first win of the season.

NFLN: Two Jaguars defenders on the cusp of breaking out

NFL Network analyst Bucky Brooks believes not one, but two Jacksonville defenders are in for breakout seasons in 2024: Linebacker Devin Lloyd and safety Andre Cisco.

The duo of Jaguars made Brooks’ “All-Breakout” defensive team Friday, with Pittsburgh defensive tackle Keeanu Benton and cornerback Joey Porter Jr. representing the only other tandem from the same team on the list.

Players without All-Pro or Pro Bowl recognition in their career thus far were qualified to make the list, per Brooks.

Find Brooks’ reasoning for including Lloyd and Cisco below.

Lloyd could be the biggest benefactor of the Jaguars’ scheme change under new [defensive coordinator] Ryan Nielsen. The third-year pro could reprise his role as a [strong-side] linebacker, which helped him earn high marks as a prospect in the 2022 draft class. A unique playmaker with instincts, awareness and pass-rushing skills, Lloyd can make his mark as a linebacker who attacks from all angles. He thrived in a similar role at the University of Utah, which helped him walk away with a plethora of honors after dotting his résumé with splash play after splash play. Though the Jaguars haven’t been entirely open about Lloyd’s expected role, it’s not hard to envision the third-year pro crushing it as a DPR (designated pass rusher) with on- and off-ball linebacker skills.

[Cisco] has a chance to become an elite defender in a new defensive scheme that suits his talents as a ballhawk. Cisco already has logged seven interceptions over the past two seasons while playing as a center fielder in a system that lived and died with blitz pressure. Now, though, the Jaguars’ young standout could see his takeaway number spike as the designated deep-middle defender in a scheme designed to bait quarterbacks into mistakes. Cisco is a high-IQ player with a nose for the ball; his range and awareness could help him spark a defensive revival in Jacksonville.

Lloyd, Jacksonville’s second first-round pick alongside edge rusher Travon Walker (Jaguars Wire’s pick for the team’s breakout player this season) in 2022, has compiled 242 tackles including two for loss, three interceptions, 15 defended passes and four forced fumbles over 32 games with the Jaguars.

Cisco, a third-round selection by the Jaguars in 2021, has recorded 161 tackles with two for loss, 1.5 sacks, seven interceptions, 17 defended passes and three forced fumbles.