An All-Pro linebacker could bolster Tampa Bay's defense. Discover why Devin Lloyd is the ideal free-agent target for the Bucs' championship aspirations.
Regardless of what franchise cornerstone Lavonte David decides to do, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers would be wise to add a linebacker over the offseason.
That could come in the draft, where Ohio State All-American Sonny Styles is among the ILB options.
But for a team that's under a lot of pressure to reclaim the NFC South in 2026 and finished 20th in scoring defense last season, it might be wise to look for somebody more established, and the Bucs might not have to look further than the state of Florida to do that.
That's where Devin Lloyd comes in. Lloyd was a first-round pick of the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2022, and this past season, he had the best year of his career, earning second-team All-Pro honors and helping the Jags improve from 4-13 to 13-4 and an AFC South Championship.
Lloyd was especially lethal in pass coverage, finishing tied for second in the league with five interceptions. That's a big reason why the Jags had more interceptions than any team in the AFC and finished just one behind the Chicago Bears for the most in the NFL.
Tampa Bay, by contrast, finished 14th in the league, and only intercepted one pass in the last four games (Baker Mayfield, by comparison, threw five).
The advanced metrics also support Lloyd's game. Per Pro Football Focus, he finished third among 88 players at his position in total pressures with 25.
Although Lloyd struggled in some areas of run defense, missing 14% of his tackles (considered borderline poor by PFF standards), he still finished 11th of 88 players in run defense grade at 83.2.
So what are the chances Lloyd stays in Jacksonville? Well, it turns out the 2026 salary cap is going to be more than $20 million higher than it was expected to be, so that might help Jacksonville. At the same time, the Jags had a chance to pick up Lloyd's fifth-year option before he became an All-Pro, and decided against it.
Now, PFF projects Lloyd to make more than $20 million a year.
Of course, this would make him a challenge to sign for the Bucs, too, since they have roughly $14.5 million in cap space per Sportac.
But with David either aging or retiring and Lloyd not turning 28 until September, this is the type of signing that could be perfect for Tampa from a fit standpoint.
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