The Jacksonville Jaguars wasted no time turning into offseason mode after losing to the Indianapolis Colts in the finale. Following their dismissal of head coach Doug Pederson, their main focus is on finding his replacement. But once they check off that box of their list, they'll have to take care of other issues. One of them will be whether to exercise the fifth-year options for pass rusher Travon Walker and linebacker Devin Lloyd. One should be an easy decision, the other not so much.
The window to exercise the fifth-year option on players taken in the first round of the 2022 draft began on January 6. The Jaguars have two such players: Walker, the first overall pick, and Lloyd, picked at No. 27. The former has become a mainstay of the defensive line while the latter has been a starter for most of the past three seasons.
Walker got off to a slow start to his NFL career, registering just a measly 3.5 sacks and one interception in his rookie season. However, he made strides the following year and racked up 10. The former Georgia Bulldog picked up where he left off in his sophomore campaign and finished 2024 with 10.5 sacks.
On the other hand, Lloyd has been stout against the run but has struggled in pass coverage. He had six pass deflections and two interceptions to start his rookie season but was benched down the stretch. The former Utah Ute has been more consistent the past two years but hasn't become the game-changer he was expected to be.
The fifth-year option was implemented in 2021 to cap salaries of first-round picks, which had gotten out of control during the past collective bargaining agreement between the NFL and the NFL Players Association, the players union.
Under the new CBA, rookie salaries are now fixed and have a four-year length. However, clubs have a fifth-year option for players who were drafted in the first round.
The Jaguars will need to make a decision on Travon Walker and Devin Lloyd
There are four tiers for fifth-year options: Basic, playing time, one Pro Bowl, and more than one Pro Bowl. Neither Travon Walker nor Devin Lloyd have made the Pro Bowl but both of them qualify for the playing time category.
The option for both Lloyd and Walker would pay them a guaranteed salary of $16.06 million in 2026. When you take into account that the top 12 pass rushers in the league make an annual salary of more than $20 million options, picking up Walker's fifth-year option should be a no-brainer. On the other hand, Lloyd isn't probably worth $16.06 million per year.
Leaving aside the cost of his fifth-year option, Lloyd isn't even the best option to start at linebacker next to veteran Foyesade Oluokun. The Jaguars drafted Ventrell Miller in 2023, and he's turned out to be a much better player than his 2022 counterpart. His contract runs through 2026 and he's set to make a combined $2.5 million the next two years.
Put together his production and salary, and Miller is a better deal for the Jaguars than Lloyd, which is why they should be hesitant to pick up the option. The one thing working in his favor is that general manager Trent Baalke, the man who drafted him, is still around, and he may not be ready to give up on him. Nevertheless, declining his option should be an easy decision.