Jaguars Taking Big Risk by Not Committing to Devin Lloyd

It’s decision time for NFL teams with regard to players drafted in the first round of the 2022 draft. Thursday marks the deadline for teams to exercise fifth-year options on rookie contracts of those first-rounders.

It’s always an interesting crossroads because the current collective bargaining agreement requires teams to commit to a player’s fifth year prior to his fourth year. That creates an awkward fourth-year feeling for first-rounders whose teams don’t pick up that option.

Jaguars linebacker Devin Lloyd is now in that group, and it’s a big risk for new general manager James Gladstone and head coach Liam Coen. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the new Jacksonville regime has opened the door for Lloyd to become an unrestricted free agent in March (unless the he agrees to a contract extension prior to the 2026 league year).

The fifth-year option is both a blessing and a curse to any team that makes a first-round selection. The only NFL team that has consistently avoided those decisions is the Los Angeles Rams, who’ve made only one first-round selection since Sean McVay became head coach in 2017 – and that player, Jared Verse, earned the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year award.

Three years ago, the Jaguars made a significant investment in Lloyd. Trent Baalke and Doug Pederson returned to the first round by trading their second-, fourth- and sixth-round choices to Tampa Bay in order to draft him out of Utah at No. 27 overall. The Buccaneers wound up with defensive end Logan Hall and tight end Cade Otton, and dealt the sixth-rounder to Buffalo, which drafted punter Matt Araiza.

Lloyd posted two sacks and actually led the Jaguars with 113 tackles last season. He also has four career interceptions, four fumble recoveries and 19 passes defensed. Obviously, Gladstone and Coen didn’t make that trade to draft Lloyd. They also just drafted two linebackers, Jack Kiser and Jalen McLeod.

The NFL has a few examples of players who excelled in their fourth seasons after the teams that drafted them declined fifth-year options. Declining that option sometimes serves as an inspirational spur to the player.

Running back Josh Jacobs led the NFL in rushing with 1,653 yards in 2022 after the Raiders declined his fifth-year option entering that season. Las Vegas then designated Jacobs its franchise player in 2023 and resigned him to a one-year contract that ended his preseason holdout in August. A year later, he signed as an unrestricted free agent with Green Bay.

Earlier in April, the Jaguars said they would exercise the fifth-year option on the other first-round choice that year, No. 1 overall selection Travon Walker.

Obviously, time will tell whether Jacksonville made the right decision by not committing long-term to Lloyd.