Jaguars Contentious Star's Stock Rising in 2025 NFL season

The Jaguars have a hotly debated roster. There's a bunch of young, blue-chip talent on this team, but not many have gotten the chance to show their potential.

Oct 29, 2023; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars helmet on the sidelines against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the fourth quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Under new general manager James Gladstone, the Jacksonville Jaguars have grown a reputation for being unafraid to cut ties with disappointing talent. Specifically, Gladstone is rumored to be on a mission to clean out as many stragglers as he can from Trent Baalke's previous regime.

Darnell Savage was the latest victim of the Jaguars' cutthroat approach to roster building, although there have been talks that the team may be doing him a favor in freeing him to find a new team where he might have more opportunities to contribute. He joined a growing list featuring players like Luke Fortner, De'Antre Prince, and Tank Bigsby.

One player who some fans thought might be exiled is linebacker Devin Lloyd. Through his first three seasons, he was known to put up empty stats for disappointing defensive Jaguars units, racking up tackles and other box score measurables while failing to impact winning. However, he's been on a mission to prove them wrong this season.

Sep 14, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Devin Lloyd (0) runs after intercepting a pass during the fourth quarter against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images | Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

Devin Lloyd is becoming an all-around star

It only hurt Devin Lloyd's stock when the Jacksonville Jaguars released their depth chart ahead of the 2025 NFL season opener against the Carolina Panthers. The team listed its starting middle linebacker as Lloyd "OR" second-year pro Ventrell Miller.

Since then, Lloyd has widely outplayed Miller and cemented his role as the featured Mike for the Jaguars' defense, garnering 70 snaps through two games compared to Miller's 26. He's been excellent in his third year for Jacksonville, earning an 86.9 grade from Pro Football Focus in his first outing versus Carolina and a 90.4 in Week 2 against the Cincinnati Bengals.

what a freaking play by devin lloyd pic.twitter.com/q55u0xhBJV

— John Shipley (@_John_Shipley) September 15, 2025

Not only has he been dominant, but he's also been versatile. So far this season, he's racked up nine combined tackles, three pressures, one quarterback hit, one pass defended, and an interception. Jaguars Defensive Coordinator Anthony Campanile recently spoke on his capabilities as a blitzer:

"I remember evaluating him in college. He's a big body, in general, but he really is blessed with a skillset to pass rush, and he's physical when he does blitz. I think he takes pride in that, takes it personally when he comes downhill and blitzes, and I think he's done a pretty good job with that to this point in the season, and to be honest with you, he works at it. He works at it hard, he puts extra effort into that, watching tape, and doing extra stuff. Even with [Linebackers] Coach Lukabu after the practice, you could see that every day. So, he spent time and done a good job that way.”