Name: Devin Lloyd

School: University of Utah

Year: rJr

Position: Linebacker

Measurables: 6’3”, 235 lbs.

Stats: 

General Info:

Devin Lloyd grew up in Chula Vista, California and attended Otay Ranch High School. There, he played both sides of the ball at the wide receiver and safety positions. Devin also punted for his high school team and lettered two seasons in basketball. Lloyd verbally committed to UNLV in December of 2016 before decommitting in January of 2017 and signing with the Utah Utes the following month. While he was recruited as a safety, Devin Lloyd quickly transitioned to the linebacker position upon his arrival on campus. After being a special teams player in 2018, he was a starting linebacker in each of Utah’s games over the last three seasons. Along with multiple selections to the Pac-12 All-Conference team, Lloyd was selected as a first-team All-American for his senior season.

Positional Skills:

Strengths

Lloyd’s history as a wide receiver and defensive back is evident in his ball-hawking skills; this has earned him a reputation as a “big-play guy”. He had four interceptions in his senior season, two of which he returned for a touchdown. Lloyd played aggressive football while avoiding major injury in his college career. He is a great blitzer, which helps him in the run game as well as in pass-rushing. This contributed to his 16.5 sacks and 43 tackles for loss throughout his career at Utah. Rarely does a linebacker pair high-level pass coverage with an ability to stop the run and rush the passer. This unique skill set will allow Devin Lloyd to play multiple linebacker positions in the NFL.

Weaknesses

Devin Lloyd is not a fluid runner, which could hurt him in pass coverage. He was overtaken frequently by larger offensive linemen in the run game as well. At times, Lloyd is a step behind in diagnosing plays and arrives late to the football. He is known to stop his feet on contact instead of driving his feet through tackles; this could hurt him against larger NFL running backs.

Fit with the Packers:

Green Bay’s hole at linebacker was seemingly solved with the arrival of De’Vondre Campbell in 2021. After all, the Packers defense is notorious for using only one linebacker and relying on a third safety. However, linebacker Krys Barnes played roughly half of Green Bay’s defensive snaps in 2021. His play left some to be desired, and he lacks the coverage ability to complement De’Vondre Campbell. Linebacker is an under-the-radar need for the Packers approaching the 2022 season. While he possesses the ability to play multiple linebacker positions, Green Bay would likely play Lloyd as an off-ball linebacker to pair his coverage abilities with Campbell’s physical presence as a run-stuffer. This would take weight off of De’Vondre Campbell’s shoulders, allowing him to home in on his strengths rather than be a “Jack of all trades” for Green Bay’s defense. Lloyd would learn under a first-team All-Pro linebacker and be utilized by a creative defensive coordinator. Devin Lloyd has drawn comparisons to 49ers’ linebacker Fred Warner due to his coverage abilities. Should he live up to this hype, Devin Lloyd would certainly be worthy of the Packers’ first-round selection.