Tag: Devin Lloyd

Devin Lloyd: ‘It’s nothing but progression’ in 2nd NFL season

Devin Lloyd says he’s motivated to make a sophomore leap after an up-and-down rookie year.

The Jacksonville Jaguars didn’t make many changes in the offseason to upgrade their defense, despite it finishing No. 24 in yards allowed last season.

Instead, much of the improvement for the unit will need to come from the defensive players taken by the team in the 2022 NFL draft — namely, top overall pick Travon Walker and the team’s other first-rounder from last year, Devin Lloyd.

Walker finished his rookie year with only 3.5 sacks and Lloyd saw his snaps cut in the latter half of the season after struggling for a stretch. On Tuesday, Lloyd told reporters that he’s feeling confident that he’ll make a big leap in his second season.

“It’s just great going into the same defense with the same group of guys,” Lloyd said. “Really, it’s nothing but progression already, but I think for me personally, I have a standard that just wasn’t set last year so I’m really excited with that extra motivation to come out and prove that this year to myself.”

Lloyd, 24, started the 2022 season on a torrid pace, recording two interceptions, six passes defended, and 24 tackles in his first three games. In the next 14 games, Lloyd was credited with defending only two more passes. His 48.3 grade on Pro Football Focus was among the lowest for any Jaguars player last year.

But the athleticism and potential that made the linebacker a first-round pick have many expecting much better things from Lloyd in 2023. Earlier this offseason, Pro Football Focus picked Lloyd as the biggest breakout candidate on the Jaguars roster.

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Trent Baalke: ‘I really like the maturity’ of Jaguars’ 2022 draftees

Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke likes what he’s seen this offseason out of Travon Walker and the other 2022 draftees.

The Jacksonville Jaguars didn’t make a ton of moves in the 2022 offseason to address their No. 24 ranked defense. Improvements on that side of the ball will largely rest on the development of the team’s early draft picks from last year: Travon Walker, Devin Lloyd, and Chad Muma.

Walker, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft, finished his rookie year with 3.5 sacks. Lloyd and Muma split time in the starting lineup at the inside linebacker and received paltry 48.3 and 54.9 grades from Pro Football Focus, respectively.

That leaves a lot of room for growth and Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke is encouraged by the signs he’s seen during the team’s offseason program.

“Really like where those guys are headed,” Baalke said in a podcast with John Oehser of Jaguars.com. “Now it’s early, we’ve only been out on the grass for a few practices this year, but I really like the maturity that they seem to be carrying themselves with.

“They’ve been through it now for a year. They know how to pace themselves, and that’s always a good thing. They know what to expect. There’s less anxiety. They’re freer to learn.

Baalke later said the combination of anxiety that comes with trying to earn a spot, the new environment around them, and the step up in play, makes the jump from college to the NFL difficult for every rookie. After navigating those challenges in 2022, the Jaguars executive thinks Walker, Lloyd, and Muma are primed for bigger things ahead.

Jacksonville finished the 2022 season 26th in the NFL in sacks last season and did little to add pass rushing threats to improve in that category. The Jaguars lost Arden Key in free agency and haven’t yet brokered a deal to bring back Dawuane Smoot.

While the team added Yasir Abdullah in the 2023 NFL draft, expecting a fifth-round rookie to contribute much to the sack total is awfully optimistic.

The Jaguars still have time to add a veteran to bolster the defense before the 2023 season, but the development of Walker, Lloyd, and Muma is paramount for the team’s future.

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Foye Oluokun says Travon Walker, 2022 rookies are primed for ‘big jump’

Foye Oluokun says Travon Walker, Devin Lloyd, and Chad Muma have a chance to be much better players in 2023.

Foye Oluokun brought much-needed leadership to a Jacksonville Jaguars defense that was severely lacking in experience during the 2022 season. On one side the veteran linebacker had No. 1 overall pick Travon Walker next to him, and on the other he had rookies Devin Lloyd and Chad Muma splitting time in the starting lineup.

Last week, Oluokun was asked what kind of transition those 2022 draft picks could make from year one to year two in their NFL careers.

“A big jump, just because you understand where you’re supposed to be on every play,” Oluokun told reporters. “You’re going to watch all of this film, all these cut ups of plays you might have messed up on technically. Now, you’re going to see the same formation next year, so now it’s like, ‘Alright, I know I’m going to be here. I remember from last year they ran these kind of plays out of this formation.’

“Just being one step ahead of the game now. Making sure you’re retaining information, learning from your mistakes, and just kind of applying that to be a better second year player. That’s how it goes.”

Oluokun, 27, didn’t become a full-time starter with the Atlanta Falcons until his third season and led the NFL in tackles in year four. When the Falcons allowed the linebacker to reach free agency in 2022, the Jaguars scooped him up with a three-year, $45 million deal.

While Walker, Lloyd, and Muma all got valuable experience during their rookie seasons, none was particular effective on the field. Walker was the highest graded of the trio on Pro Football Focus at 58.0. The No. 1 overall pick had 3.5 sacks and an interception, Lloyd had three interceptions and two fumble recoveries, and Muma had 1.5 sacks.

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2023 NFL mock draft: David Dorey

The Huddle’s David Dorey releases his first NFL mock draft of 2023.

David Dorey’s first mock draft of 2023 is now out. Sound off on social media and let us know what you think.

We’ll be unveiling several more mock drafts leading up to the real thing, so be sure to check back with our 2023 NFL Draft Central page to keep track of all of our offerings.

2023 NFL Mock Draft: Round 1

*Note: Miami forfeited its No. 21 overall selection for tampering.

Pick NFL team Pos Player School
1 Carolina Panthers (via CHI) QB C.J. Stroud Ohio State
2 Houston Texans QB Bryce Young Alabama
3 Arizona Cardinals EDGE Will Anderson Jr. Alabama
4 Indianapolis Colts QB Anthony Richardson Florida
5 Seattle Seahawks (via DEN) DT Jalen Carter Georgia
6 Detroit Lions (via LAR) CB Devon Witherspoon Illinois
7 Las Vegas Raiders OT Peter Skoronski Northwestern
8 Atlanta Falcons EDGE Myles Murphy Clemson
9 Chicago Bears (via CAR) EDGE Nolan Smith Georgia
10 Philadelphia Eagles (via NO) CB Christian Gonzalez Oregon
11 Tennessee Titans QB Will Levis Kentucky
12 Houston Texans (via CLE) WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba Ohio State
13 New York Jets OT Darnell Wright Tennessee
14 New England Patriots CB Joey Porter Jr. Penn State
15 Green Bay Packers EDGE Tyree Wilson Texas Tech
16 Washington Commanders CB/S Brian Branch Alabama
17 Pittsburgh Steelers CB Deonte Banks Maryland
18 Detroit Lions TE Michael Mayer Notre Dame
19 Tampa Bay Buccaneers OT Broderick Jones Georgia
20 Seattle Seahawks DT Calijah Kancey Pittsburgh
21 Los Angeles Chargers WR Quentin Johnston TCU
22 Baltimore Ravens WR Jordan Addison USC
23 Minnesota Vikings CB Emmanuel Forbes Mississippi State
24 Jacksonville Jaguars WR Zay Flowers Boston College
25 New York Giants WR Jalin Hyatt Tennessee
26 Dallas Cowboys RB Bijan Robinson Texas
27 Buffalo Bills EDGE Lukas Van Ness Iowa
28 Cincinnati Bengals TE Dalton Kincaid Utah
29 New Orleans Saints (from SF>MIA>DEN) RB Jahmyr Gibbs Alabama
30 Philadelphia Eagles OG O’Cyrus Torrence Florida
31 Kansas City Chiefs OT Paris Johnson Jr. Ohio State

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Devin Lloyd is primed for a breakout 2023, according to PFF

Devin Lloyd struggled for much of his rookie season, but PFF thinks better days are ahead for the linebacker.

Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Devin Lloyd had a hot start to his rookie year before things went south.

The second of two Jaguars first-round picks had two interceptions and six passes defended in his first three career games, earning NFL Rookie of the Month honors in September. Over his next seven games, Lloyd recorded just one pass deflection and was eventually sent to the bench in favor of fellow rookie linebacker Chad Muma.

Lloyd got his starting job back after a few weeks, but rotated with Muma the rest of the way and received a paltry 48.3 grade on the season from Pro Football Focus. In a post listing a 2023 breakout candidate for each team, PFF’s Sam Monson said he expects much better things from Lloyd next year.

Lloyd was the Defensive Rookie of the Year for the first month of the season. After that, his play nosedived, and he ended the season splitting time with fellow rookie Chad Muma.

That first month showed what he is capable of, and the plays he was able to make in coverage can be particularly transformative to a defense. With a season under his belt and an offseason to get up to speed, next season could be a breakout year.

Jaguars coach Doug Pederson feels the same way.

“I thought the time there midseason where Chad went in and played a couple of games there, I thought that really helped him,” Pederson said of Lloyd last week. “When he came back, things began to slow down. He started to understand things a little bit more. He’s only going to improve. Again, having an offseason to rest and heal and then come back understanding his role and what we’re asking him to do, the scheme on defense, I just see nothing but brighter skies for him.”

Lloyd finished his rookie year third on the team in tackles with 115 and tied for the team lead in interceptions with three. He was also one of five Jaguars players who recovered two fumbles.

Jaguars rookies ranked as 6th best class of 2022 by ESPN

Travon Walker got all the attention, but it was Jaguars rookie center Luke Fortner who impressed ESPN most this season.

The Jacksonville Jaguars didn’t get a Defensive Rookie of the Year season out of No. 1 overall pick Travon Walker, but the collective performance of the team’s rookies was among the best in the league this season, according to ESPN.

In a ranking of all 32 NFL teams’ rookie classes, the Jaguars came in at sixth.

Walker was part of the reason, as were linebackers Devin Lloyd and Chad Muma, but it was Luke Fortner who was highlighted by ESPN as the most notable of the group.

No. 1 overall pick Travon Walker had all the attention, but he was not the Jaguars’ most valuable rookie. Instead, third-round pick Luke Fortner went directly into the starting lineup at center, played all 17 games and finished second among offensive linemen in SIS total points. He had a low 1.8% blown block rate and just one sack allowed.

Fortner, 24, was the 65th overall pick in April and beat out Tyler Shatley in training camp for the starting center role. He never missed a snap during the regular season and earned rave reviews from his coaches and teammates.

“The way he communicates and carries himself … if you told me he is a rookie, I would have told you you were crazy, because he’s one of the smartest rookies I’ve ever played with,” Jaguars veteran guard Brandon Scherff said earlier this month.

Walker finished the regular season with 3.5 sacks, five tackles for loss, one interception, and one forced fumble. Lloyd had three interceptions and Muma had 1.5 sacks and three tackles for loss.

Jaguars DC Mike Caldwell: ‘The talent is here’

Mike Caldwell says the Jaguars defense can be good with the players it already has.

The Jacksonville Jaguars defense allowed 40 points in Week 13, never forcing the Detroit Lions to punt or turn the ball over in a blowout loss that dropped the Jaguars to 4-8.

With much of the talk this week centered around what Jacksonville can do to right the ship, defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell said Thursday that the team isn’t in need of an infusion of new players.

“I think the talent is here,” Caldwell said in a press conference. “We’re happy with the players here. We just have to get them understanding that when you do the right way, you have to do it the right way over and over and over again.

“There are times when we’re right on point. Then there are times when we’re not. That’s part of coaching, we all own that, we’ve got to get those guys playing the way they need to play over and over and over.”

The Jaguars used a pair of first-round picks on defensive players, Travon Walker and Devin Lloyd, in April, as well as a third-round pick on Chad Muma. Jacksonville also added defensive lineman Folorunso Fatukasi, linebacker Foye Oluokun, and cornerback Darious Williams in free agency.

After solid results from the new-look defense early in the season — including a shutout of the Indianapolis Colts in Week 2 — the unit has regressed as the year has gone on. It has now allowed at least 27 points and 400 yards in three straight weeks.

Caldwell may be hesitant to throw his players under the bus by saying they’re not good enough and new talent is needed. But the results tell another story and it’s hard to imagine the Jaguars not addressing their defensive woes with more draft picks in 2023.

Doug Pederson defends DC Mike Caldwell after defensive fiasco

Is Mike Caldwell’s seat starting to get warm after the Lions scored at will Sunday?

The Jacksonville Jaguars defense didn’t do anything well Sunday against the Detroit Lions.

It forced no turnovers, no punts, and allowed the Lions to score points on all of their offensive drives before Detroit kneeled out the clock on its last possession. There was plenty of criticism to go around after the Jaguars’ 40-14 loss and Mike Caldwell was at the center of it.

On Monday, Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson defended the first-year defensive coordinator, but also acknowledged that the coaching is going to need to improve.

“It takes time,” Pederson said of Caldwell on Monday. “I can remember back when I was a first-time coordinator and you’re trying to do a lot of different things, and then you realize you back off a little bit. We’ve done that, we have. We’ve scaled back a little bit and we’ve got some talented players, we’ve got some good players. Again, as a staff, we’re just making sure that we put these guys in the right positions and that’s on us to do that.

“I think Mike has done a good job of organizing and really keeping things together. On the same side of that is that we’ve got to do a better job of coaching and teaching and making sure everybody understands their jobs.”

Caldwell, 51, previously spent over a decade as a linebackers coach for the Philadelphia Eagles, Arizona Cardinals, New York Jets, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers before he was hired by the Jaguars in February.

Jacksonville allowed 313.8 yards and 16 points per game in the first five weeks of the season. The team has allowed an average of 408.6 yards and 27.4 points in the seven games since.

Chad Muma played well enough to keep starting role, says Doug Pederson

The starting job still belongs to Chad Muma, says Doug Pederson.

Jacksonville Jaguars rookie linebacker Chad Muma got his first career start Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens and coaches liked what they saw.

On Wednesday, Jaguars coach Doug Pederson said Muma will stay in the starting lineup for a Week 13 matchup against the Detroit Lions. That leaves fellow rookie linebacker Devin Lloyd set to continue to play a rotational role.

“I think moving forward, I think Chad did enough in that game to give him another opportunity,” Pederson said. “Still making sure that Devin’s ready and prepared and still having the rotation available if need be. I think both players are in a really good place, especially headspace right now. They’re young players, long season, six games left, and we’ve got to make sure that both of them are well-prepared as we make these next six games.”

Muma, a third-round pick in April, was on the field for 100 percent of the Jaguars’ 72 defensive snaps in the 28-27 win against the Ravens. Lloyd, who was the 27th overall pick in the first round, was on the field for a season-low 27 defensive snaps.

Last week, Lloyd told reporters that he’d prefer to stay in the Jaguars’ starting lineup, but said “it’s all about growth” and that his focus is on continuing to progress as a player.

Muma finished his first start with nine total tackles while Lloyd finished the game with two tackles off the bench.

Devin Lloyd: ‘I don’t want to go out, but it’s all about growth’

Devin Lloyd would rather play, but he’s trying to make the most of the times Chad Muma is playing.

Jacksonville Jaguars first-round linebacker Devin Lloyd had a strong start to his rookie year before struggling through a rough stretch. Those difficulties came to a head when Lloyd spent much of Week 10 watching the Jaguars’ 27-17 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs from the sideline while fellow rookie Chad Muma got a career-high amount of snaps.

On Wednesday, Jaguars coach Doug Pederson said Lloyd and Muma will continue to share play time. Lloyd told reporters he understands the decision even if it isn’t his favorite.

“Doug had mentioned that sometimes the perspective from the sideline, you get a little bit different perspective,” Lloyd said Wednesday, via 1010XL. “Me personally, I love playing. I love playing the game, obviously I don’t want to go out. But for me, it’s all about growth.

“As perfect as we want it to be, it’s never going to be perfect. For me, it’s just about learning from my mistakes and making sure they don’t happen again, continuing to progress every day.”

Lloyd, 24, started the year with two interceptions and six passes defended in his first three games. Since then, he’s recorded a pair of fumble recoveries, but has been a liability in coverage with just one pass defended in the Jaguars’ last seven games.

Against the Chiefs, Muma played the entire fourth quarter and finished the game second on the team in tackles with six.

“I think both guys have shown us enough that they can both play, play in there and play well,” Pederson said Wednesday. “I think this back third of the season or half of the season, I think you’ll see more of a rotation with those two guys. It’s a great opportunity for both of them. This week, in particular, because of the unique style of Baltimore’s run offense. You’re going to have to use probably as many of those linebackers as possible.”

On Wednesday, Lloyd told reporters he’s feeling refreshed and rejuvenated both physically and mentally after the team’s Week 11 bye. The Jaguars traded up into the first round in April to pick Lloyd with the 27th overall pick. Muma was selected two rounds later at 70th overall.