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Devin Lloyd NFL Draft Profile
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Devin Lloyd Scouting ReportDevin is a long and athletic linebackers have earned the eye of NFL scouts. He stands around 6’3″, 232 pounds, and sports a long, fairly compact frame, which helps to maximize his range in various situations. He has the size to linger closer to the line as an extra edge defender, and the length and explosiveness to knock linemen off-balance when engaging. Devin has promising movement ability. He possesses exceptional lateral explosion and twitch, with solid closing speed when honing in on the catch point. He undoubtedly possesses a degree of sideline-to-sideline range. With his high-end explosiveness and solid long speed, he can be a tackling threat wherever the ball ends up. Devin's athleticism and length make for a dangerous combination, especially when he uses his length effectively. The Utes product can shed blocks and surge ahead to seal off running lanes. He actively extends his arms to disrupt passes in coverage, and as a tackler, uses his length and closing burst to wrap up regularly. Devin’s solid athletic foundation is an important part of his NFL Draft scouting report. Moreover, his execution and football IQ make him unique from other linebackers. Lloyd’s not only physically capable, but he’s also a smart, instinctive player whose game IQ regularly proves to be a tier above other prospects. Devin is a stellar communicator pre-snap, and he’s proactive in seeking out mismatches, changing the alignment at times. At one point against Washington in 2020, Lloyd recognized a numbers mismatch in the trenches and rotated to the edge position, telling a lineman to move inside. When the ball was snapped, Lloyd exploded off the edge as a free rusher and tackled the ball carrier for a loss. Devin also adapts mid-play as the situation changes shape. His reaction quickness shines, not only allowing him to adapt, but also to generate turnovers in vital moments. While Lloyd is smart, he’s an exceptional teammate and competitor as well. The Utah LB is a high-effort player who always plays at full speed in pursuit. Lloyd is willing to encumber blockers to free up defenders, and he will lower his shoulder and throw his mass into opposing players. Devin has shown to employ varying stride lengths when reading and reacting to plays. Additionally, he’s versatile. He can line up at MIKE, OLB, the edge, or even as a big slot on occasion. He has the ball skills to make plays in coverage. |
Areas for ImprovementLloyd can strive for better efficiency of motion in space. His direction changes aren’t always sudden or smooth, and he doesn’t always keep his balance through these direction changes. While he does keep active feet, his footwork can be a bit choppy in space. Additionally, Lloyd can be somewhat tentative when clamping down on gaps, allowing space to remain. While he has the length to stack and shed blocks, he can get locked up at times and flushed out of plays. Lloyd does at times overshoot tackling angles. This isn’t a function of his long speed, however. His long speed, while solid, is not quite top-tier. Furthermore, Lloyd can be looked off of receivers by quarterbacks who use their eyes, forcing him to play at a disadvantage on occasion. He’s a strong processor, but Dean is slightly above him in that department. Lloyd can also refine his skill set as a pass rusher. With his explosiveness, he no doubt has potential. Nevertheless, he can use that downfield explosiveness more freely as a blitzer. Additionally, tackles can handle his frame relatively easily on pass-rushing reps. Thus, some added weight might be beneficial for him.
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Devin Lloyd Career at SchoolLloyd’s Utah career would go on to be exceptionally productive, but that greatness precipitated from a quieter start. He redshirted the 2017 season and was primarily a special-teams contributor as a redshirt freshman in 2018. However, he did gain a bit of experience on defense that year, and that experience prepared him for a rise into a starting role the following year. Lloyd became a starting linebacker in 2019 and used that opportunity to explode onto the college football stage. The Utah LB started all 14 games for the Utes, amassing 91 total tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, 1 interception, 2 pass deflections, and a defensive touchdown. Lloyd earned honorable mention Pac-12 honors for his performance, and that was enough to encourage an encore. In 2020, the Utes only played five games due to COVID, but Lloyd still put up massive numbers. He nearly matched his tackle-for-loss total in nine fewer games, accumulating 48 tackles, 10 stops behind the line, 2 sacks, and a forced fumble. As a result, Lloyd was named a first-team All-Pac-12 selection and a finalist for the Butkus Award, which ultimately went to Owusu-Koramoah. Devin Lloyd had his unequivocal best season in 2021. In 14 games, Lloyd amassed 111 total tackles, 22 tackles for loss, 7 sacks, 4 interceptions, 6 pass deflections, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, and 2 defensive touchdowns. Lloyd took home the Pat Tillman Defensive Player of the Year Award in the Pac-12 conference. Entering the year as a potential early-round prospect, Lloyd stamped his name onto the first-round conversation with authority. |
Devin Lloyd NFL Draft Player ProfileLloyd has good athleticism, quickness, and agility. He has had some on-the-ball production which has solidified his ability to remain on the field in sub-package situations. In the passing game he can rush from inside or outside, and while he shows some stiffness in space, he can still get depth in his zone drop, come up, and tackle underneath. Lloyd has also proven in 2021 that he can get home in pass-rush situations from various alignments. In the run game, he’s a thumper who plays downhill and physical. He has a heavy run lane anchor and has good tackling efficiency in the box. He's a downhill player who is among the nations leader in TFLs. He uses his agility inside to defeat blockers and find the football. He has been productive in the box when he can quickly diagnose the run. On third downs, he has proven that he can remain on the field on passing downs and projects as a productive special teams player if necessary.
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