Why Devin Lloyd Might Be Irreplaceable for Jaguars' Defense

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars have several key players set to hit free agency in March, but perhaps none are more important than linebacker Devin Lloyd.

A first-round pick for the Jaguars in 2022, Lloyd just had the best year of his career for Jacksonville and earned second-team All-Pro honors in the process. But with Lloyd set to get a payday in March, how should the Jaguars forge their path forward with Lloyd?

Top FA

In a list from Pro Football Focus of each team's top free agent that they can't afford to let leave, Lloyd was unsurprisingly chosen as the Jaguars' option. The other options are running back Travis Etienne or a pair of cornerbacks in Montaric Brown and Greg Newsome, none of whom carry the same weight as Lloyd.

:Jacksonville was one of the best all-around teams in the AFC in Liam Coen’s first season, especially due to a defense that placed fifth in EPA per play. The heartbeat of the talented unit was Lloyd up the middle. The former first-round pick dominated at the perfect time. Lloyd garnered an All-Pro nod due to his 88.4 PFF overall grade, which ranked second to only Jack Campbell among qualified linebackers," PFF said.

devin lloy — Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Devin Lloyd (0) looks on from the sideline during the fourth quarter of an NFL football matchup at EverBank Stadium, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jaguars defeated the Titans 41-7, capturing the AFC South title. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"On top of that, Lloyd slotted in the top 10 at the position in both PFF run-defense and coverage grades, and he tied for fifth in PFF WAR. An inherent risk comes with paying linebackers handsomely. But at 27 and after playing like one of the best at his position, Lloyd could receive $15 million or more per year. The Jaguars should exhaust their funds to make that happen."

Lloyd was a key piece of the Jaguars' defensive resurgence, and the hiring of defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile seemed to be the final piece needed to unlock Lloyd. The question now is whether the Jaguars will be willing to meet Lloyd at what will likely be an extremely high asking price.

devin lloyd — Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Devin Lloyd (0) enters the stadium before an NFL football game at EverBank Stadium, Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] | Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"How cool was that, right? Such an impactful season. What he meant to our end result was certainly notable. The way in which he operated on a daily, weekly basis was really cool to watch and observe. He committed himself to being the best version," Jaguars general manager James Gladstone siad about Lloyd on Wednesday. "The connection between him, the coaching staff was real. He was being deployed in the right ways. He felt confident the ways he was doing it from both defense and special teams.

"Talking about a guy playing at an all-pro level on defense but is running it down on kickoff every time we score and making plays for us. Extremely happy for Devin and his production this season and finding real footing in a way that aligned with what he knew he could be. Look forward to working through the offseason process with our coaching staff and everyone else to determine what's best for everybody and seeing if there's something to be done. But nonetheless, the role that he had in what we did this season was real and I think it was very vivid for all to see."

Never again miss one major story related to your beloved Jaguars when you sign up for our 100% FREE newsletter that comes straight to your email with the latest news. SIGN UP HERE NOW.

Follow us on X (Twitter) @JaguarsOnSI and @_John_Shipley and make sure you like our Facebook page, WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.