Feb. 3, 2026, 7:56 p.m. ET
NFL.com analyst Kevin Patra has a piece of advice for the Jacksonville Jaguars this offseason: re-sign or replace linebacker Devin Lloyd.
“The Jags seem unlikely to use the franchise tag on Lloyd (projected at $28.2 million, per Over The Cap),” wrote Patra. “If he prices himself out of Jacksonville, there will be a gaping hole in the middle of Campanile’s D that needs to be filled.”
Lloyd did a bit of everything for the Jaguars‘ defense this past season and brought a high-impact presence. When he missed time briefly with an injury during the middle portion of the season, his absence was noticeable.
Lloyd finished the season totaling 25 pressures as a blitzer during the regular season, and ranked 11th among linebackers in PFF’s run defense grade. In coverage, he recorded five interceptions and two pass breakups.
As Patra pointed out, the franchise tag won’t be an option at that amount. As a free agent, Lloyd is going to garner interest from a number of teams. Spotrac is projecting that he earns a three-year deal worth $60.4 million.
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For a Jaguars team that’s a bit short on cap space currently and has other needs to address — like the defensive line and cornerback — does Jacksonville have the flexibility to bring Lloyd back at that amount?
If Lloyd doesn’t return, there will certainly be a void to fill in the middle of the Jaguars’ defense and no obvious fill-in next to Foye Oluokun.
Current on the roster options to potentially take over for Lloyd include Ventrell Miller, Jack Kiser, Yasir Abdullah, and Jalen McLeod.
Addressing this position early on in the draft could be a real possibility for Jacksonville. Anthony Campanile’s defensive scheme and his coaching background at the linebacker position may have to be tasked with elevating this unit as well.