In approximately two months, the 2022 NFL Draft will take place in Las Vegas, Nevada and the dreams of college football players across the country will be realized as they take the games biggest stage. While the University of Utah has several players with the potential to take their talents to the next level, linebacker Devin Lloyd is a guaranteed first-round pick and will hear his name called early on.
So while experts try to determine where this first-round talent will end up, and Lloyd continues preparations with the NFL Combine this week, one question remains. Where does Lloyd rank amongst the rest of the linebackers in the 2022 Draft Class?
In addition to Lloyd, a handful of other linebackers grace the top of the charts, including names such as Nakobe Dean (Georgia), Christian Harris (Alabama), Leo Chenal (Wisconsin) and Brandon Smith (Penn State). While each of these individuals are extremely talented and will be able to make sizable impacts for their respective teams, the following 2021 statistics help paint a picture of where Lloyd ranks amongst the rest.
Total Tackles
Devin Lloyd - 111
Leo Chenal - 96
Brandon Smith - 81
Christian Harris - 79
Nakobe Dean - 72
Solo Tackles
Devin Lloyd - 66
Leo Chenal - 55
Brandon Smith - 45
Christian Harris - 45
Nakobe Dean - 36
The clear leader in both statistics, Lloyd was a one man wrecking crew who terrorized back fields, clogged the trenches and found himself at the end of a lot of defensive stops. As one of his most valuable traits, Lloyd made elite reads and almost always found a way to be involved in the play.
Tackles For Loss
Devin Lloyd - 22
Leo Chenal - 18.5
Christian Harris - 12.5
Nakobe Dean - 10.5
Brandon Smith - 9
Sacks
Devin Lloyd - 8
Leo Chenal - 8
Nakobe Dean - 6
Christian Harris - 5.5
Brandon Smith - 2
Leading in tackles for loss and tied for first amongst the group with eight sacks on the year, Lloyd was simply a freight train through the offensive line as he’d explode right from the snap and easily shed blockers. Using his agility, elite technique, and brutal physicality, Lloyd clearly knows how to cause havoc in the backfield by either dropping the quarterback for a loss, applying immense pressure to force them to throw it away or make a mistake and can snuff out runs before they ever begin.
Interceptions
Devin Lloyd - 4
Nakobe Dean - 2
Leo Chenal - 0
Brandon Smith - 0
Christian Harris - 0
Forced Fumbles
Christian Harris - 2
Nakobe Dean - 2
Leo Chenal - 2
Devin Lloyd - 1
Brandon Smith - 1
While Lloyd can't be perfect at everything and only recorded one forced fumble, he still is the most effective in creating turnovers as he picked off opposing quarterbacks four times during the 2021 campaign. Each extremely timely, Lloyd demonstrated great positioning and sticky hands to intercept passes. He also arguably recorded the play of the year for Utah after he intercepted Anthony Brown in the Pac-12 Championship to cement the Utes victory early on.
In this scenario, the numbers don’t lie. Lloyd is clearly the best linebacker in the country and should make an immediate impact no matter who calls his name. While some NFL Draft projections have him going as high as 10 or 12, several of the latest reports have him going at 21 to the New England Patriots. Regardless, Lloyd’s versatility, leadership, hunger, and physicality will make him a steal for any team as he begins what should be a long and fruitful career in the NFL.
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