Devin Lloyd had his best season this past year at Utah, finishing with 110 tackles (team-high, third in the Pac-12), 22 for loss and seven sacks. He also recorded four interceptions (team-high), two of which were returned for touchdowns. He was a two-time Butkus Award finalist in 2020 and 2021 and a consensus All-American.
Overall, Lloyd can be considered Utah’s best linebacker of all time as he finished his career with 43 tackles for loss (fourth-most in program history), tied for second-most tackles for loss in a season with 22, is one of just six Utes all-time with three plus career interception return touchdowns and earned 10 career All-America accolades, including eight First Team honors in 2021.
Strengths
Lloyd can play all the linebacker positions and is outstanding in pass coverage. In addition, he knows how to make on the fly adjustments in his coverage. Lloyd plays physically and knows how to use his hands when shedding blockers against the run. The linebacker is a good form tackler and has a good back-side burst to get to the football. Lloyd also had good tackling technique, does not get reckless and seems to always find a way to be involved in stopping the football. He also has good pass-rushing skills and could be used as an effective blitzer.
Weaknesses
It’s certainly tough to find weaknesses in Lloyd’s game, but like any NFL prospect, nobody is perfect. At times, Lloyd can be found flat-footed and will occasionally lunge to make tackles rather than keeping his feet. Also, sometimes Lloyd takes on blocks with his body instead of his hands. Finally, in some situations, Lloyd had trouble with run fits in a zone-blocking scheme.
Outlook
Lloyd could very well be a top ten pick in the NFL Draft as teams can plug him in many positions right away with his versatility. In addition, with the NFL being more of a passing league, Lloyd's pass coverage ability will make him a hot commodity. Although Lloyd's struggles are reading blocks in the running game at times, his pass rush and coverage ability will make Lloyd an asset. Wherever he goes, Lloyd should start right away and make an immediate impact as an elite defender.
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