When Devin Lloyd is asked a question, he thinks deeply and gives a thoughtful answer. And he’s had enough to deal with during his rookie season.
As a first-round draft pick, he faced the slings and darts of excessive fortune and lost his starting spot as the Jacksonville Jaguars went from no-hopers to the divisional round.
Lloyd entered the NFL under the weight of expectation. He came out of Utah like a hard-hitting, heat-seeking rocket as the Jaguars traded back to take the second linebacker off the board with the No. 27 draft last year.
“There was a lot of pressure and expectation for me, especially being picked in the first round.
It started right away. When I went to the NFL I was actually kind of blinded by the expectations just because I wanted to be the best I could be for everyone around me,” Lloyd told Mail Sport on a recent visit to England.
An uneven preparation – Lloyd was playing catch-up in the off-season due to several injuries – resulted in a wavering campaign.
Devin Lloyd is satisfied with his rookie season, but is preparing for a bigger season in Jacksonville
Lloyd had a good start to his rookie season before losing the starting LB job to Chad Muma
Lloyd admits he had some “growing pains” as he adjusted to the demands of the NFL
In his third week, he earned NFL Defense Rookie of the Month honors, but would lose the starting role alongside Foyesade Oluokun to fellow rookie Chad Muma.
And then I got off to a good start. But when things aren’t going so well, you feel that pressure. You feel that expectation. And it is also understanding how to deal with it.
“There were a lot of great moments, but also a lot of growing pains,” adds Lloyd. “Obviously you’re going to have some growing pains in my first year, but I think overall it was a great experience, so I can look back on that good feeling about what happened.
“But we also understand that there are many growth areas. And I think so far I’ve attacked everything I needed to improve so far and continue to take that step forward for next year.
“The way I look at it, it’s a 25-week season: the preseason, the regular season, and then the postseason. It’s like double the amount of football you play in college. And so I wasn’t completely aware physically going into training camp and going into the season. So my off season last year was just, I just went for it. I fully attacked. I went fast.
“But this year I now understand that you can’t necessarily because your body can only take a limited amount of blows for a year. It’s a battle. Football is a battle, a physical battle and also a mental battle.
‘Physically you have to prepare your body for the season. Treat the off season like it’s the regular season, you’re preparing your body for the season. So I now fully understand that concept. And besides the physical side of it, really controlling my mind was really what I’ve accomplished this offseason.
‘There is so much to it, of course mentally. You have to have your confidence in the right place. But then overcoming adversity, overcoming obstacles, understanding how to see the right plays.
The former University of Utah standout played 926 snaps at linebacker during the 2022 season
Lloyd believes the experience from his first season will help him move forward with the Jaguars this year
“To keep living in a moment and loving every moment of what you do, fully understanding the mental side of the game because this is a competition that will spit you out – it’s brutal – so you really need to understand how to act quickly, but also to really know your worth, to know who you are as a player and to just be yourself.
“Frankly, you know there’s so much fun in playing this game that I love, and so there’s a lot of hardship and setbacks, but you shouldn’t focus on anything but the love of the game you’ve got.
“
And after Lloyd recorded 926 snaps at linebacker last season, he was no longer used as a pass rusher. But he expects that to change as he enters sophomore year in defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell’s program.
‘I believe so, yes! I believe so,’ he says.
After the Jags suffered a demoralizing loss to the dismal Denver Broncos at Wembley, it seemed to everyone that their season was over.
But 2-6 went 4-8 and after five consecutive wins, the Jags won the AFC South for only the second time in franchise history.
“You know, I think everyone was just tired of losing,” says Lloyd when asked what he attributes the turnaround to.
And understand the challenge we have and all we’ve accomplished. We just fell short in so many games. I think we really just – I don’t really want to say it was a big change or anything, what we were doing – but the execution was a lot better all year after that game. It was total team buy-in.”
Much of that can be attributed to the combination of Doug Pederson and Trevor Lawrence. After Urban Meyer’s disastrous reign, the Jags turned to the Super Bowl-winning head coach to add much-needed stability, knowledge and experience.
During an exclusive interview with Mail Sport, Lloyd praised the influence of HC Doug Pederson
He also spoke highly of Trevor Lawrence and how he leaves him “in awe” in practice
“I’m very grateful to have him as a coach,” says Lloyd. “Obviously it’s not just because of the coach that he is, but the person is more important than anything, especially in this day and age, but really it’s just so important to be a good person.
“And so, in addition to his knowledge of the game, I think he will continue to make everyone around him better. And keep increasing everyone’s knowledge.’
And if Lloyd is looking for inspiration as he heads into his second year as a pro, he won’t have to look far.
The Jaguars drafted Lawrence with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 draft, but his first season was blighted by off-field chaos, with Meyer’s miserable tenure taking center stage.
But Lawrence roared back. In 17 starts last season, he completed 387 of 584 passes for 4,113 yards and 25 touchdowns, leading the Jags to their first playoff win in five years.
It didn’t take Lloyd long to realize his teammate was something special.
“I remember last year when I first went up against him at the OTAs, his ability to throw the ball alone is ridiculous. He can put the ball wherever he wants. He’s obviously a very smart player, but he can easily hit a 60 on the spot.
“And I remember seeing some of the balls he threw last year and just being in awe. Obviously I understand that now and it’s kind of like I expected it to be, but when I first saw that in person I said to myself, he definitely looks like a #1 overall choice.’
The Jaguars’ No. 33 hopes the Jags can do one better against the Chiefs in Week 3 game
After a miraculous comeback against the Los Angeles Chargers in the wild card round, the Jags would lose to the eventual Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs.
Lloyd and the Jags will take on Patrick Mahomes again in week three, before flying across the Atlantic for next month’s double-header in London against the Atlanta Falcons at Wembley and Buffalo Bills at Tottenham.
“It’s always fun to compete against the big competitors just because they teach you so much. They do things other guys don’t do. And normally you don’t see it, so you will see something. And you will say, “Oh, that can happen”. And that improves your game. You are better prepared for that. I like a challenge – and he sure is a challenge.’