Jaguars LB Devin Lloyd Draws Positive Reviews After 'Getting Feet Wet' in Debut
For Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Devin Lloyd, last Saturday was a long time coming.
After weeks of rehabbing from a pre-training camp hamstring injury, Lloyd made his NFL debut against the Atlanta Falcons in the Jaguars' preseason finale. After an entire camp of watching from the side as the Jaguars went through a physical and demanding month of practices, Lloyd was able to put his pads on, strap his helmet up and do what he does best.
"It was fun. You know, finally, like you said, just to get out there. It had been, you know, a while since I was on the field, let alone live contact and pads," Lloyd told Jaguar Report this week. "So it was fun just to get out there and get my feet wet a little bit."
"I mean, whenever we came in and we drove in, I realized that, you know, I am about to play in NFL stadium and an NFL game. So that was pretty crazy. And then going out and walking out on the field for the first time as a team, that's when it kind of was like dang, like, I'm really about to play a league game for the first time. But then after that, I just focused on what I had to do."
Lloyd played 25 snaps against the Falcons after missing the first three preseason games. While most of the Jaguars' starters and impact players sat out the finale, Lloyd was given several drives worth of playing time to help him catch up to the speed of the game.
The result? Five tackles, a healthy outing, and a performance that left an impression on the Jaguars' staff.
"First of all, he came out of the game healthy, and that was the number one thing. We wanted to kind of push him and see where he was at physically with the injury, and he checked the box," Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said on Tuesday.
"His play was good. He does a great job with his hands, being able to shed blocks. Sort of his key in diagnosing, being able to read and react and run and make tackles. You saw that in the game. He was physical, all the things you want to see out of your young linebacker. We feel really good in that room, and there are some guys there, again it kind of goes back to the D-line, there’s a combination of guys, Chad (LB Chad Muma) working in the mix. All three guys are going to play. We’re excited to see him come out of that game healthy and play well.”
"There was no hesitation, he felt good, and he was excited to play, happy to play," Jaguars defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell summed up on Wednesday.
"It’s been a long haul for him, and he went out there and did some good things, and we’re excited to keep seeing him progress.”
Lloyd's long haul and road to getting back to 100% finally ended against the Falcons. And as a result, the Jaguars finally got a close look at the linebacker they traded up to No. 27 overall to select in April's NFL Draft.
The Jaguars see Lloyd as a centerpiece not just for their defensive future, but as a potential impact player in 2022. For them, it was important to see Lloyd get reps and adjust to the speed of the NFL game before Week 1. For Lloyd, it was important to make contact and do the same.
"Every game really it's always the first hit that really kind of wakes you up and gets you ready, like that's what you're shooting towards or first contact, whatever it is," Lloyd said. "That's what really gets you in that game mode.
"Definitely like getting my pads on people. You know, that's just the first play but you know, hoping to make a lot more."
The question for the Jaguars before Week 1 at the Washington Commanders is just how exactly they will utilize their linebackers. Veteran linebacker Foyesade Oluokun is going to play extensively, but then the Jaguars have to choose between Lloyd and third-round rookie linebacker Chad Muma, who played in the first preseason games and participated in all of camp.
“Well, right now we’re still working through that, Chad (Muma) has had a bunch of reps, and everybody will play the first game of the season and everybody will play and get in the flow," Caldwell said.
"There’s no pitch count for him, we’ll get him out there and just let him go when he needs to go, let Chad go when he needs to go, same way with Foye (Foyesade Oluokun) and Shaq (Quarterman).”
