The Jacskonville Jaguars suffered a massive blow on defense when linebacker Devin Lloyd bolted for the Carolina Panthers in free agency. While they would've surely wanted to keep the Second-Team All-Pro nod around, they were never in a position to match the $45 million deal he got.
Following Lloyd's departure, linebacker has been named a pressing need for the Jags. Not surprisingly, they've been urged to address the position at No. 56 with either Jacob Rodriguez or Anthony Hill Jr. Then again, the team's brass may want to prioritize bigger roster voids in the draft. One big reason is that 2023 fourth-round pick Ventrell Miller is ready to compete for a starting role.
The Jaguars are giving Ventrell Miller a shot to start
Ryan O'Halloran of The Florida Times-Union says that Ventrell Miller will get a heck of a shot to start at linebacker, pointing out that head coach Liam Coen is high on the former Florida Gator.
"When Ventrell was asked to pay a lot of meaningful snaps last year, we saw some really good things, and there are things we can continue to coach off of," Coen said via O'Halloran at the NFL owners' meeting. "Anytime you give a player confidence without telling him anything — like right now, if you're him and we haven't signed anybody yet, he should say, 'Well, at least they believe in me. At least I think I can do it.'"
Miller missed his rookie campaign after suffering an Achilles rupture during offseason workouts. However, he saw significant playing time in 2024 and made the most of it, registering one forced fumble and 80 tackles in 15 games with nine starts. However, the Lakeland, Florida native had a reduced role last year due to Lloyd's ascension. Nevertheless, he was still dependable when thrust into action.
With Lloyd out of the picture, Miller will now have a clear path to a full-time job next to Foyesade Oluokun. Sure, the Jags could still draft a linebacker, but he'll be the first in line to fill the void left by Lloyd.
Aside from Miller and Oluokun, the Jags also have Branson Combs, Derrick Gardeck, sophomore Jack Kiser, and Yasir Abdullah in the mix. This is why linebacker may not rank that high on their list of needs.
Why the Jaguars are giving Ventrell Miller a chance to replace Devin Lloyd
Ventrell Miller slid in the 2023 draft because of injury concerns. The fact that he suffered the Achilles fracture didn't alleviate concerns, but he's managed to stay healthy the past two years. And if he avoids the injury bug next season, the defense may not miss a beat without Devin Lloyd.
Before Lloyd's breakout season, he had been a solid but unspectacular player. Heck, Miller outplayed him in 2024, so it's easy to see why the team's brass is willing to bet on him. Of course, there's a chance he won't be able to live up to expectations, and if that's the case, Jacksonville could easily look for upgrades at linebacker in 2027.
But at worst, Miller should be a stopgap that will allow the Jaguars to address other, more pressing needs. At best, he could have a banner season in 2026 and become the long-term answer at linebacker.
Either way, the Jaguars are pleased with what they've seen in Ventrell Miller. He now needs to prove he deserves a starting job full-time.