2022 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Devin Lloyd

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Devin Lloyd, 6-3/235 Linebacker Utah

Devin Lloyd Scouting Report
By Charlie Campbell

Strengths:

Very good instincts

Rangy

Talented pass-coverage linebacker

Man coverage ability vs. tight ends and running backs

Can drop into zone coverage

Ball skills

Above-average height and length for a linebacker

Tough run defender

Good tackler

Quick

Diagnosis skills

Flashes ability to shed blocks

Can get off blocks to make tackles

Read-and-react skills

Fits a 4-3 or 3-4 defense

Always around the ball

Quick to the flat

Upside

Experienced

Weaknesses:

A little stiff

Stiffness can be seen dropping in coverage

Summary: The Utah Utes defense has produced a lot of tough defenders for the NFL in recent years, and Lloyd will continue that tradition in the 2022 NFL Draft. He was excellent in 2021, leadering the Utah defense that carried the team to the Pac-12 Championship and a Rose Bowl appearance. On the year, Lloyd totaled 111 tackles, eight sacks, one forced fumble, four interceptions and six passes broken up. In the shortened 2020 season, he notched 48 tackles after recording 91 tackles, 6.5 sacks, one interception and two passes defended in 2019.

Lloyd does everything well for the next leve, and there isn’t a serious weakness to his game. Against the run, he defends sideline-to-sideline thanks to his quickness to track down ball-carriers. Lloyd shows good instincts and is adept at reading his keys to explode through the scrum to take down backs. Lloyd is big enough to defend against downhill runs coming straight at him. In terms of getting off blocks, Lloyd has that potential because he is a physical defender and does not shy away from taking on blockers.



Lloyd is very well suited to pass coverage in today’s NFL. While he has some stiffness that can be seen when he drops into coverage, he compensates with instincts and speed. As a professional, he could contribute against tight ends in man-to-man coverage. Lloyd has good height and length to match up on tight ends and the speed to get down the seam. He was very good in coverage for Utah last season. For running backs out of the backfield, Lloyd is also able to cover them. In zone coverage, Lloyd is skilled to pick up receivers coming into his area and keeping them from getting open. He also flashed as a blitzer when given the opportunity to rush the passer.

Lloyd has the potential to be a true three-down starter in the NFL. Being a run chase Will – weakside – linebacker in a 3-4 defense would be a great fit for him. In a 4-3 defense, he could be a Mike – middle – linebacker or he could be a Will or Sam – strongside.

In the 2022 NFL Draft, Lloyd has a shot to be a late first-round pick. If he doesn’t, he should not slide past Round 2.



Player Comparison: Zach Cunningham. Some team sources have compared Lloyd to Cunningham, which makes a lot of sense. Cunningham and Lloyd are both 6-foot-3 and nearly identical in size. They are also both instinctive run defenders with the ability to cover. Cunningham was a second-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, and Lloyd could in the second round this year. I could see Lloyd being a similar pro defender to Cunningham.

2022 NFL Draft Player Previews - Choose Player 2022 NFL Draft Player Previews - Home Adam Anderson, OLB, Georgia Calvin Austin, WR, Memphis Tyler Badie, RB, Missouri Amaré Barno, OLB, Virginia Tech Andrew Booth, CB, Clemson David Bell, WR, Purdue Nik Bonitto, OLB, Oklahoma Jaquan Brisker, S, Penn State Treylon Burks, WR, Arkansas Zachary Carter, DE, Florida Leo Chenal, LB, Wisconsin Lewis Cine, S, Georgia Damone Clark, LB, LSU Micheal Clemons, DE, Texas A&M Bryan Cook, S, Cincinnati James Cook, RB, Georgia Yusuf Corker, S, Kentucky Matt Corral, QB, Ole Miss Charles Cross, OT, Mississippi State Nick Cross, S, Maryland Jordan Davis, DT, Georgia Nakobe Dean, LB, Georgia Jahan Dotson, WR, Penn State Greg Dulcich, TE, UCLA Arnold Ebiketie, DE, Penn State Kaiir Elam, CB, Florida Ikem Ekwonu, OT, N.C. State Martin Emerson, CB, Mississippi State Kingsley Enagbare, DE, South Carolina Daniel Faalele, OT, Minnesota Luke Fortner, C, Kentucky Ahmad 'Sauce' Gardner, CB, Cincinnati Luke Goedeke, G, Central Michigan Kyler Gordon, CB, Washington Kenyon Green, G, Texas A&M Breece Hall, RB, Iowa State Logan Hall, DE, Houston Kyle Hamilton, S, Notre Dame Christian Harris, LB, Alabama Daxton Hill, S, Michigan Chasen Hines, G, LSU Sam Howell, QB, North Carolina Aidan Hutchinson, DE, Michigan Ed Ingram, G, LSU Drake Jackson, DE, USC Jermaine Johnson, DE, Florida State Zion Johnson, G, Boston College Travis Jones, DT, Connecticut Kerby Joseph, S, Illinois Cam Jurgens, C, Nebraska George Karlaftis, DE, Purdue Darian Kinnard, OT, Kentucky Charlie Kolar, TE, Iowa State DeMarvin Leal, DT, Texas A&M Isaiah Likely, TE, Coastal Carolina Tyler Linderbaum, C, Iowa Devin Lloyd, LB, Utah Drake London, WR, USC Abraham Lucas, OT, Washington State Boye Mafe, DE, Minnesota Phidarian Mathis, DT, Alabama Trey McBride, TE, Colorado State Roger McCreary, CB, Auburn Trent McDuffie, CB, Washington Verone McKinley, S, Oregon John Metchie, WR, Alabama Skyy Moore, WR, Western Michigan Chad Muma, LB, Wyoming David Ojabo, DE, Michigan Chris Olave, WR, Ohio State Cade Otton, TE, Washington Evan Neal, OT, Alabama Josh Paschal, DE, Kentucky Trevor Penning, OT, Northern Iowa Nick Petit-Frere, OT, Ohio State George Pickens, WR, Georgia Kenny Pickett, QB, Pittsburgh Alec Pierce, WR, Cincinnati Dameon Pierce, RB, Florida Jalen Pitre, S, Baylor Brock Purdy, QB, Iowa State Bernhard Raimann, OT, Central Michigan Desmond Ridder, QB, Cincinnati John Ridgeway, DT, Arkansas Brian Robinson, RB, Alabama Wan'Dale Robinson, WR, Kentucky Justyn Ross, WR, Clemson Jeremy Ruckert, TE, Ohio State Jamaree Salyer, G, Georgia Tyler Smith, OT, Tulsa Isaiah Spiller, RB, Texas A&M Derek Stingley, CB, LSU Kayvon Thibodeaux, DE, Oregon Cameron Thomas, DE, San Diego State Tyquan Thornton, WR, Baylor Kenneth Walker, RB, Michigan State Rasheed Walker, OT, Penn State Quay Walker, LB, Georgia Travon Walker, DE, Georgia Christian Watson, WR, North Dakota State Zamir White, RB, Georgia Jameson Williams, WR, Alabama Malik Willis, QB, Liberty Garrett Wilson, WR, Ohio State Perrion Winfrey, DT, Oklahoma Tariq Woolen, CB, UTSA Devonte Wyatt, DT, Georgia Jalen Wydermyer, TE, Texas A&M

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