While the Jacksonville Jaguars may have had a down season in 2023, it wasn't a decline across the board.
In fact, several players had a better year than during the Jaguars' 2022 playoff run. Among those players was second-year linebacker Devin Lloyd, who went from a liability as a rookie to a solid run-defender in his second season.
"I thought Devin [Lloyd] took a step in the right direction. Still can continue to clean up some things and work on some things this spring, but I thought things kind of slowed down for him this year. It can continue to get better for him," Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said at the end of the year.
As a result of his improvement, Lloyd was given the nod by Pro Football Focus as the Jaguars' single most-improved player, earning the nod over players like Darious Williams, Josh Allen, or Travon Walker. According to PFF, Lloyd's PFF grade improved from 48.3 as a rookie to 78.1 in 2023.
"Lloyd was a liability at times in coverage and run defense during his rookie campaign, but he improved in both facets for his second season. He finished the season with a 90.3 run-defense grade, ranking third among linebackers," PFF said.
Lloyd started 15 games for the Jaguars at inside linebacker this year, recording 127 tackles, two tackles for loss, one quarterback hit, two fumble recoveries, and seven pass deflections. Lloyd is projected to enter his third season as a starter in 2024 under new defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen.
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