Nobody will deny that Devin Lloyd had a huge impact for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2025, finally breaking through after three solid but unspectacular seasons. The downside of his success is that he put it all together in a contract year, which put him in a position to cash in big.
Lloyd ended up inking a three-year deal worth $45 million with the Carolina Panthers. Now that he's gone, the Jags will have to find a way to replace his production. But based on general manager James Gladstone's most recent remarks, it looks like the team is up to the challenge.
The Jaguars have a well-rounded LB corps even after Devin Lloyd left
James Gladstone met with the local media after the start of free agency. He stated that Devin Lloyd's impact last year cannot be overstated, but the Jags have the personnel to fill the void left by his departure.
"Devin's impact on our football team over the course of the last year was nothing short of significant.
Without his on-ball production, games are going to look a lot different," Gladstone told the press corps (4:21 mark). "The results of those games are going to look a lot different. And I know that our coaching staff had such a high appreciation for what he did. The players in the locker room love to play beside him and appreciate all the pieces that he brought to the puzzle."
Gladstone continued, "Beyond that, I think we can look at our own that we still have as people that can step in and have stepped in over the course of their contracts at Ventrell Miller. He started multiple games at linebacker for us, and did so even last year. And beyond that, Branson Combs, who is an undrafted college free agent, found his mark on special teams and still has a lot of upside that can be built upon.
Later in the exchange, Gladstone also talked about Foyesade Oluokun and Dennis Gardeck, noting that the Jags have ample experience at linebacker but didn't rule out making additions throughout the course of the offseason.
Last year, Jacksonville signed Gardeck after the draft, so it wouldn't be shocking to see Gladstone make a similar move this time around.
Ventrell Miller and Dennis Gardeck give the Jaguars options at linebacker
A drop-off should be expected after Devin Lloyd's departure. Last year, he had five picks, including a pick-six against the Kansas City Chiefs, and 1.5 sacks. No scheme will be able to recreate that kind of impact. Having said that, the Jags surely feel comfortable about their options to replace him.
As Gladstone noted, Ventrell Miller will be the first in line to replace Lloyd. Leaving aside that the 2023 fourth-round pick has previously started for Jacksonville, he's flashed enough talent to make you think that he'll have no trouble filling the void left at linebacker.
On the other hand, Dennis Gardeck returned on a two-year deal after joining the Jags midseason in 2025. When he came in, he was still recovering from a torn ACL. The Sioux Falls product is now 100 percent and should be even more productive with a full offseason to prepare.
It's also worth noting that sophomore Jack Kiser could compete for a bigger role, iwth Lloyd out of the mix. When you add it all up, the Jacksonville linebacker corps is in good shape.
Losing Devin Lloyd is most definitely a huge blow, but the Jags have the pieces to replace him in the aggregate.