Jaguars may have been right all along to let Devin Lloyd leave

After three good-not-great seasons, Devin Lloyd finally became the playmaker the Jacksonville Jaguars envisioned when they drafted him 27th overall. His banner year came at the right time, as he became a free agent in 2026. Surprisingly, the Jags didn't make an aggresive effort to bring him back.

The decision partly stemmed from the fact that Jacksonville already had 2023 fourth-round pick Ventrell Miller waiting under the wing. Moreover, the team's brass may not have wanted to make a substantial investment in a non-premium position.

But regardless of the circumstances that led to Lloyd's departure, an NFL analyst strongly believes the Jaguars made the right call.

Devin Lloyd could suffer a nosedive after his career year with the Jaguars

Benjamin Solak of ESPN drew up a list of breakout players from 2026 who'll suffer a nosedive next season. He included Devin Lloyd, arguing that his banner season was the result of a change in his role rather than a true improvement.

"The book on Lloyd has always been that his length and explosiveness would give him sideline-to-sideline range," Solak wrote, "But that lightbulb never really came on as a true off-ball linebacker. So, Campanile instead lined Lloyd up on the line of scrimmage more (up from 8.9% in 2024 to 16.4% in 2025), at times flexing him off the edge into almost a nickelback alignment."

Solak continued, "This narrowed Lloyd's vision -- he didn't have to read and react to nearly as many post-snap keys -- and let him play faster. The reimagined role also allowed him to blitz more, and he excels there."

Later, Solak makes the case that Lloyd did play better in 2025, but not nearly as well as his production would suggest.

For context, Lloyd posted a career-best five interceptions, including one for a touchdown, after registering just four (three of them in his rookie season) the prior three seasons. Similarly, he showed notable improvement in coverage, arguably the biggest weakness of his game in past years.

This is to say that the former Utah Ute did make game-changing plays last year, but the Jags still felt comfortable letting him walk. Granted, they did make him an offer, but they surely knew it wasn't going to be better than the three-year, $45 million deal he got from the Carolina Panthers.

The Jaguars are confident they'll be fine without Devin Lloyd

The Jaguars declined Devin Lloyd's fifth-year option on his rookie deal early in 2025. That was the first sign that they had already contemplated his potential exit. That he exceeded expectations was mostly an encouraging development, but the team's stance remained unchanged nonetheless.

If the Jags, like Benjamin Solak, think Lloyd improved because of the scheme, defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile should also be able to get the most out of fourth-year linebacker Ventrell Miller, who's expected to replace Lloyd, or sophomore Branson Combs, who turned heads in the offseason program.

Either way, Jacksonville might not think there will be a drop-off at linebacker without Lloyd. Otherwise, the front office would have done everything it could to bring him back. Having said that, there's a chance the Panthers will use the Kansas City, Missouri native in a way that allows him to make plays. If that's the case, they're going to get plenty of bang for their buck.

But if Carolina forces Lloyd into a role that doesn't suit his strengths, the signing is going to bring scrutiny. Either way, the Jaguars believe that their defense won't skip a beat without the fifth-year linebacker.

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