4 Jacksonville Jaguars players who can bounce back from disappointment in 2023

No. 2 Jaguars player who can bounce back in 2023: Devin Lloyd, LB

You knew the Jaguars liked linebacker Devin Lloyd when they traded back into the first round to take him 27th overall last year. At the time, linebacker was a need for Jacksonville, and Lloyd brought much-needed athleticism to the position. Although he suffered a hamstring injury that forced him to sit out a good portion of training camp, he still made his way into the starting lineup in the opener.

It looked like the Jags' decision to go with Lloyd paid off, as he registered two interceptions and six passes defensed in the first three games of the 2022 season. However, he progressively regressed and was eventually phased out in favor of fellow rookie Chad Muma in the second half of the regular season.

Looking back, the coaching staff might have mishandled Lloyd's development. Maybe he would have benefitted from starting the season behind Muma but that doesn't justify his poor performance. The silver lining is that Lloyd is fully healthy and will have a full offseason to hone his skills.

All things considered, Lloyd wasn't necessarily bad in 2022 but he wasn't great either, which is why he will need to fend off Muma in training camp. Although Lloyd has the talent to win the starting spot next to veteran Foyesade Oluokun, Muma won't give up without a fight. As a matter of fact, this is going to be one of the team's most exciting training camp battles and as of this writing, it looks like it could go either way.