Top 25 Jaguars Countdown: Devin Lloyd Lands At No. 16

Will the former first-round pick have a breakout season in 2024?

Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Devin Lloyd (33) tries to get the fans in the north end zone fired up before the opening kickoff. The Jacksonville Jaguars hosted the Houston Texans at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. Sunday, September 24, 2023. The Jaguars trailed 17 to 0 at the end of the first half. [Bob Self/Florida Times-Union] / Bob Self/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY

In a little under two months, the Jacksonville Jaguars will kick off the 2024 season in hopes of shedding away the nightmare that was 2023.In the Jaguars' pursuit of an AFC South title and a spot in the playoffs, the Jaguars will need the core of their roster to help propel them past the Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Tennessee Titans, and the rest of the opponents on their schedule.

But who are those players? Which players will be the ones who decide whether the Jaguars find their way back to playoffs?

We will attempt to answer that question in two series. One series will begin in July, while the other will continue until Week 1.

So ... who are the top 25 players on the Jaguars roster ahead of 2024? We break it down below.

No. 16: Devin Lloyd

The Jacksonville Jaguars have always had high hopes and big plans for Devin Lloyd, as evidenced by the Jaguars trading up to select him in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft. The versatile chess piece out of Utah was immediately slotted in at weakside linebacker next to middle linebacker Foyesade Oluokun, even winning defensive rookie of the month after several forced turnovers in his first month on the roster.

But Lloyd's rookie season also had its down moments, such as him being benched toward the end of the season for fellow rookie Chad Muma. As a result, his rookie year felt incomplete. There was some good, some bad, and some projection with where to go from there.

And while the Jaguars' defense struggled down the stretch of the 2023 season, the data makes one thing clear: Lloyd improved by leaps and bounds.

After a staggering 16.3% missed/broken tackle rate in 2022, Lloyd brought that number all the way down to 9.8% last year -- an even lower figure than Oluokun's. Now with new defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen in tow, the hope is Lloyd can turn a step into a leap.

“I think Devin's had a really good offseason. Obviously, year three, new system so how fast can he learn it. But I think too, seeing himself on film, just continuing to get better and improving. You're seeing that out of him," Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said during OTAs.

"The challenge for all those guys really on defense is just the terminology. Just picking up the new scheme and Devin has done a nice job in phase two. What I've seen just watching him out there and talking to Matt House [inside linebackers coach] and listening to him talk. Devin's in a good place."

Our top 25 list so far ...

No. 25: Logan Cooke

No. 24: Ezra Cleveland

No. 23: Roy Robertson-Harris

No. 22: Walker Little

No. 21: Brian Thomas Jr.

No. 20: Ronald Darby

No. 19: Antonio Johnson

No. 18: Mitch Morse

No. 17: Brandon Scherff

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