At this point, it seems like the Jacksonville Jaguars will let linebacker Devin Lloyd test free agency. Ideally, they would love to keep what became an integral piece of their defense last year. However, re-signing him appears to be highly unlikely because the Jags are dealing with a cap crunch. The good news is that they'll have options to replace the 2025 Second-Team All-Pro.
Nakobe Dean comes with injury flags but has previously shown playmaking skills with the Philadelphia Eagles. If he hits the open market, he should be significantly cheaper, which could make him an alternative to Lloyd.
Having said that, Jacksonville may have bigger needs to address in free agency, so general manager James Gladstone may want to wait until the draft to bolster the linebacker corps. If that's the route the Jaguars end up taking, Justin Melo of Sports Illustrated just mocked the perfect replacement for Lloyd.
The Jaguars take Anthony Hill Jr. in SI's post-combine mock draft
In his latest NFL mock draft, Justin Melo has the Jaguars taking linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. with the 56th overall pick. They met with him at the Scouting Combine, which is why the pairing makes sense. Here's the skinny.
"Texas linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. ran the third-fastest 40 at his position at 4.51 seconds. His 10-foot-5 broad tied the third-best result at linebacker," Melo wrote. "The Jacksonville Jaguars are looking for a replacement at the position, with Devin Lloyd slated to cash in elsewhere in free agency. The Longhorns standout trigger downhill good instincts, and he's got sideline-to-sideline range."
Even though Hill felt a bit of tightness in his hamstring while doing drills at the combine, that shouldn't hurt his stock. On the other hand, just because the Jags have talked to Hill doesn't mean they'll draft him, but using a draft pick on him would most definitely make sense.
Hill is one of the top linebackers in this year's linebacker class. While he's projected to go in the second half of the first round, there's a chance he could still be on the board on Day 2. And if the Jags really like him, they could move up a few spots in order to secure him. This isn't a far-fetched scenario when you take into account that James Gladstone has shown that he's not afraid to trade up or down to address the larger scale roster.
On the other hand, and as talented as Hill is, Jacksonville could end up taking a completely different path in Round 2. After the scouting combine, Charlie Campbell of Walter Football reported that the Jags are leaning toward taking a cornerback or a defensive tackle.
Anthony Hill Jr. could give the Jaguars a capable replacement for Devin Lloyd
It's worth noting that this is one of the first, if not the first time Anthony Hill Jr. is pegged to the Jaguars. That doesn't make him a bad pick, though; it's just that because he's expected to be a first-round selection, their odds may not be high. Heck, Jacob Rodriguez has been a trendy pick in mock drafts because he could still be available by the time Jacksonville is on the clock.
For the sake of the argument, let's say that Devin Lloyd walks in free agency, and Hill is still on the board at No. 56. He could most definitely give the Jags a tough choice, as defensive tackle, cornerback, and the pass rush will most likely be bigger needs depending on how free agency plays out.
Then again, the Jaguars will surely be thrilled if Anthony Hill Jr. makes it to 56th, as having too many choices is better than having none at all.