While off-ball linebackers don’t possess the same positional value as some of their defensive counterparts, the truly elite can expand the playbook. With Devin Lloyd being one of, if not the No. 1 LB in the 2022 NFL Draft, what are his current projections and landing spots in mock drafts?
NFL Mock Draft 2022: Devin Lloyd’s draft projections
Utah’s Lloyd tested well at the 2022 NFL Combine, even if he wasn’t the most explosive overall. At 6’3″ and 237 pounds with 33″ arms, the Utes star ran a 4.66 40-yard dash, recorded 25 reps on the bench, and jumped 35″ in the vertical and 126″ in the broad. Those numbers culminated in a 9.33 Relative Athletic Score (RAS) on a scale up to 10. What makes Lloyd pop on tape is his ability to quickly diagnose plays and fire toward the ball.
On the Pro Football Network Top 300 Big Board, Lloyd ranks as the top linebacker. He can legitimately rush the passer as a blitzer and off the edge, stuff the run between the tackles or in space, and drop into coverage and force incompletions.
NFL Mock Draft 2022: PFN’s top consensus landing spots
In PFN Daft Analyst Oliver Hodgkinson’s most recent 2022 NFL Mock Draft, the Patriots selected Lloyd with the 21st overall selection. If there is one coach that could utilize Lloyd to his maximum potential, it is Bill Belichick. Just look at what he has accomplished with Jamie Collins, Kyle Van Noy, and Dont’a Hightower. Lloyd could fill a similar versatile role with New England cutting Van Noy — Collins and Hightower remaining unsigned.
In his mock, Hodgkinson stated, “Plugging Devin Lloyd into that unit would give the Patriots a ferocious downhill presence who combines physicality with football intelligence to deliver in coverage as well.”
PFN’s Joe Broback actually had Lloyd going earlier in his 2022 NFL Mock Draft, as the Utah LB landed with the Philadelphia Eagles at No. 15. Philly hasn’t drafted a first-round LB since 1976, but it may be time to switch gears. They signed Haason Reddick, but he is more of an edge rusher than off-ball LB. Lloyd would allow the Eagles to get versatile at the second level, moving both him and Reddick around the field to generate disruption.
Where does Lloyd land on other draft boards?
ESPN’s Mel Kiper ranks Lloyd as his seventh overall prospect, with Georgia LB Nakobe Dean coming in at 13th. Fellow ESPN draft pundit Todd McShay has the two flipped, with Dean at sixth and Lloyd at 11th on his board. Either way, both analysts view the Utes defender as a top-15 player in the 2022 NFL Draft.
NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah shares the sentiment, labeling Lloyd the ninth-best player in the class. Dean is just one spot higher, showcasing how tight the race is between the two. However, some separation may grow after the Combine and Georgia’s Pro Day, with Dean falling down boards due to not testing.
Currently, Lloyd is the favorite to be the first linebacker off the board in the 2022 NFL Draft. And his production, tape, and overall physical tools are well worth the investment.