It’s pretty clear Seattle’s linebacker depth is a concern at the moment. Mystery surrounds Tyrice Knight’s knee injury. Ernest Jones had knee surgery this off-season and recently missed camp time due to the passing of his father.
Behind the starting pair, there isn’t a great deal. They signed Michael Dowell a week ago, a former practise squad player who was previously undrafted. Today they added Alphonzo Tuputala, an undrafted rookie from Washington.
We saw last year how important the position is within Mike Macdonald’s system. Would an aggressive move to improve the position be worth considering? Especially if Knight is a question mark?
Jaguars linebacker Devin Lloyd came into the league carrying a lot of expectation as a former first round pick. His play has been a bit up-and-down at times. He recorded a very solid 76.7 PFF grade for 2024 but Jacksonville turned down the fifth-year option on his contract.
This year they hired Anthony Campanile to be their defensive coordinator, Green Bay’s former linebackers coach. It might mean he wants to keep as many players together in that group or he could back himself to develop others, given that’s his area of expertise.
The Jaguars used a fourth round pick on Jack Kiser this year. They also have Foyesade Oluokun on the roster, plus Chad Muma and Ventrell Miller.
Lloyd is known for quality run defense rather than coverage ability and that might be what the Seahawks want, given the highly athletic talents they have elsewhere on their defense.
If the Jaguars don’t see themselves paying to keep Lloyd — and if they feel they have sufficient depth — would they consider doing a deal? The Seahawks would get a player who turns 27 in September and would provide greater depth and experience. They were willing to ‘rent’ Jones Jr a year ago, giving the Titans a fourth round pick for 10 games. Would a similar price get a deal done here? With the same potential to see if you want to retain Lloyd at the end of the season?
The Seahawks might be inclined to keep hold of their picks. They only have six next year, with no chance of any comp picks in 2026. There’s always a way to add more down the line so it’ll likely depend on Knight’s health and their belief in backups Patrick O’Connell and Drake Thomas. They also have the option to use Nick Emmanwori creatively to work around any issue at linebacker.
Even so, Lloyd could be a name to keep an eye on if they want to try and make a deal. The Seahawks are in a place where being active and aggressive makes sense.
