Jaguars make trade with Tampa Bay to select LB Devin Lloyd with 27th overall pick

The Jacksonville Jaguars pulled off a draft-night trade with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to get back in the first round, selecting Utah linebacker Devin Lloyd with the 27th overall pick.

Jacksonville sent their No. 33rd pick in the second round, 106th pick in the fourth round and 180th pick in the sixth round to Tampa Bay to select Lloyd.

"He does a little bit of everything," Jaguars GM Trent Baalke said. "He can cover. He can rush the passer. He's very good against the run inside the tackle box and outside. So just a lot of versatility, and he's a culture setter. He's a great young man. He fits into what we're trying to build here, and we're looking forward to having him here."

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Two first-round selections for third consecutive year

In a trade frenzy, nine occurred on Thursday's opening night of the draft. For the Jaguars, it is the third consecutive year they have had two picks in the first round. The Jaguars started the draft by selecting defensive end Travon Walker with the No. 1 overall pick.

Last year, the Jaguars selected quarterback Trevor Lawrence with the No. 1 overall pick, and his former Clemson teammate Travis Etienne, a running back, was selected 25th overall in the first round.

In 2020, the Jaguars selected former Gators cornerback CJ Henderson with the ninth overall pick and former LSU linebacker K'Lavon Chaisson went 20th overall in the first round.

Lloyd, 6-foot-3, 235 pounds, is the first natural linebacker to be selected in the first round by the Jaguars since Kevin Hardy went second overall out of Illinois in 1996.

Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year

He was in Las Vegas for the NFL Draft and lifted up Commissioner Roger Goodell in a bear hug and also chanted — ''Duuuval!'' — after hearing his name called.

"I had no idea I was going to Jacksonville. They haven't even really spoken to me like that, so I had no clue," Lloyd said. "But as soon as I saw the Jacksonville number, I was like, ooh, Duval. I knew I could finally say that because I like the chant. It's cool."

Lloyd, who is from San Diego, was named the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year last season after having 111 tackles, including 22 tackles for loss, the second-most in the country, and seven sacks. He led the Utes to their first Rose Bowl appearance in school history.

A four-year player at Utah, Lloyd had 256 career tackles and 15.5 sacks.

He could step in and play immediately alongside linebacker Foye Oluokun, who signed with the Jaguars in free agency after leading the NFL in tackles (192) last season for the Atlanta Falcons.

Coach Doug Pederson believes the pairing of Lloyd and Oluokun is going to be a good fit.

"You know, I think from a football standpoint it's very similar to Travon," Pederson said. "We've got to get them both in here and get them with the defensive coaches and really get them to start working with the guys on our roster currently.

"But I think that it's going to be a good relationship, just again, making that linebacker room a little bit stronger, a little bit better, and really helping the overall football team with the guys like Devin and Travon. It's still a work in progress, obviously, with these guys, but we're excited to get them in here."

A four-year player at Utah, Lloyd had 256 career tackles and 15.5 sacks. The Jaguars needed to add another linebacker after they released starter Myles Jack in March and not re-signing veteran middle linebacker Damien Wilson. Jack was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers and Wilson now plays for the Carolina Panthers.

The Jaguars have significantly upgraded their defensive front seven with the additions of Walker and Lloyd, who will play alongside Malcom Brown, Roy Robertson-Harris, Josh Allen, Oluokun and Foley Fatukasi, who was signed in free agency after playing his first four seasons with the New York Jets.

Lloyd was rated 12th on NFL Network's draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah's top 50 list. Jeremiah praised Lloyd as having Pro Bowl talent, instinctive as a zone dropper, able to anticipate, drive and make plays on the ball with excellent lateral range.

"Well, personally you have to go in and earn the spot," Lloyd said. "You have to earn the trust of everyone around you, the players, coaches, ownership. You have to earn everything you have. But for me and my confidence, if you're asking me personally, yes, I see myself as a plug and play. I want to come in and help immediately, handle myself like a pro, earn everything, and I mean, really go out and win. Do everything I can to be a winner, champion.''

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jaguars make trade with Tampa Bay to select Devin Lloyd 27th overall