Jaguars Training Camp Battles: Ventrell Miller and Replacing Devin Lloyd

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- There have been two positions that have faced the most questions for the Jacksonville Jaguars this offseason, and naturally they are the two positions where they have the most high-profile changes: linebacker and running back.

We will get more into the Jaguars' training camp's importance to the post-Travis Etienne era at running back, but here we are set to take a look at the Jaguars' linebacker role in the wake of Devin Lloyd's departure in free agency.

Ventrell Miller has looked like the clear leader to replace Lloyd ever since the Jaguars' former All-Pro linebacker signed with the Carolina Panthers in March, but training camp will surely be the deciding factor on whether this will truly be the case. So, what will make or break the Jaguars' battle at the linebacker position following Lloyd's departure? We break it down below.

Ventrell Miller vs. the Field (Branson Combs, Parker Hughes, Jack Kiser)

vntrell mille — Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Ventrell Miller (51) walks off the field during the first day of minicamp at the Miller Electric Center, Tuesday, June 9, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Miller is the leading candidate to start at the linebacker spot for a few reasons. The fourth-year linebacker started games for the staff last year after getting his first taste of starting experience in spot starts in 2024. He is a strong run defender who has impressed in spurts before, and the fact the Jaguars did not make any additions at linebacker outside of seventh-rounder Parker Hughes is telling.

“Yeah, I think there's a lot of room for growth there. I think that Ventrell, when Ventrell was asked to play a lot of meaningful snaps last year, I think we saw some really good things and then there's some things we can continue to coach off of. And I think anytime you give a player confidence without telling them anything, like right now if you're him and we haven't signed anybody yet, you should say, well, at least they believe in me. At least they think I can do it," Coen said in March at the owners meetings about Miller.

"And now it's on him and us to go do it together but also like dude now it's time. Now it's time to truly go take it over. There's going to be an opportunity there and I think Ventrell is made of the right stuff and I think he cares enough about it from a we above me standpoint that he's going to put the time in to do it and I'm excited about what that could look like.”

ventrek mille — Sep 7, 2025; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Ventrell Miller (51) against the Carolina Panthers at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

That does not mean Miller will just be given the job, of course. Miller battled with Lloyd for the starting job last season all the way through Week 1, before Lloyd was able to pull away with it thanks to some big takeaways. He will now have to once again go into camp competing for the role, but the difference is that he is no longer the player doing the chasing when it comes to the top spot.

Branson Combs is a name worth knowing after what he showed during the offseason program. He got some time in blowout wins last year, but he looked like a much-improved and more confident player during OTAs and minicamp. Parker Hughes was the Jaguars' final pick in their 10-player draft class, though the seventh-round rookie might be bound for a special teams spot as a rookie. Jack Kiser is entering his second season after the Jaguars took him in the fourth-round a year ago, but his most likely role seems to be as Foyesade Oluokun's backup in the starting defense.

Key Factor to Watch

While Miller is understandably the favorite to replace Lloyd and start next to Foyesade Oluokun, it can not be ignored that Branson Combs has become a legit name to watch at the linebacker position. That could mean more for sepcial teams than it does for defense in 2026, but Combs had the kind of offseason program that makes it hard to count him out of the battle this early.

If we are a few weeks into training camp and it is clear to the Jaguars' staff that it is Miller's job, then it will be time to call it. But Combs did enough over the offseason program to suggest he could take a big leap this season, just one year after signing with the franchise as an undrafted free agent and spending a solid chunk of his season on the practice squad.

Combs was recognized by the Jaguars' staff this offseason for his pass coverage in particular, and that could be the area the Jaguars miss Lloyd the most considering the impact of his five interceptions a year ago. Combs is a very different style of linebacker than Miller and more closely fits the mold of a coverage linebacker, which could end up playing a role in this battle one way or another.

Why This Battle Matters

devin lloy — Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Devin Lloyd (0) celebrates a fumble recovery with cornerback Montaric Brown (30) during the second quarter of an NFL football AFC Wild Card playoff matchup, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Simply put, Lloyd was an X-Factor for the Jaguars' defense a year ago. There is certainly an argument to make of how much of it was scheme- and/or Anthony Campanile-related and whether it would have been replicable, but that doesn't change an iota of how important Lloyd was to the Jaguars' defensive improvement last season. Even with all of the contexts of the Lloyd role, there are big shoes for the Jaguars to fill at the linebacker position.

Lloyd was one of the most impfactful players in some of the Jaguars' biggest wins, with turnovers against the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs proving to be critical in comeback wins. Lloyd’s 99-yard pick-six against Patrick Mahomes was one of the defining plays of the Jaguars' season, and according to NextGen Status it swung the Jaguars’ win probability by 42 percentage points (from 28% to 70%).

The replacement for Lloyd, whether it be Miller, Combs, or whoever else, will face the pressure of playing the same spot. That does not mean they have to do exactly what he did in order to have a successful season, but the Jaguars' defense justifiably will not be looking for a significant drop-off if they can help it.

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