JACKSONVILLE – Devin Lloyd is excited about the coming weeks.
Yes, the Jaguars have played well this season. Yes, they lead the AFC South by two games with six games remaining. But as the Jaguars inside linebacker sees it, the best may be to come.
"We're 8-3 it feels like we still haven't put together a perfect game," Lloyd said as the Jaguars (8-3) prepared to play the Cincinnati Bengals (5-6) at EverBank Stadium Monday. "That is such a great feeling."
Lloyd, the No. 27 overall selection by the Jaguars in the 2022 NFL Draft, joined senior writer John Oehser for this Week 13 O-Zone Podcast. He discussed multiple topics, including his improvement after struggling at times as a rookie.
"I definitely see it as growth," Lloyd said. "Every year I want to grow. Last year there was so much that I just didn't know. There was a lot that I had to kind of adjust to going from college to the NFL. I learned. I'm really playing a lot better but I'm also just doing a lot better mentally.
"Everything ties in. Football is a beautiful game, but it's just a game. I feel like in the bigger picture in regard to life, that's the area of growth that I'm the most happy that I improved in and I'm just looking to continue to keep growing."
Lloyd, who finished second on the Jaguars with 115 tackles as a rookie with three interceptions and eight passes defensed, has seven passes defensed this season with no interceptions. He laughed when asked how many interceptions he might have this season if not for playing several games with a cast on his right thumb.
"I would have had at least two," he said, adding, "Shoot, I might have had four."
Lloyd's presence and improvement has helped the Jaguars be one of the NFL's best defenses against the run – and in forcing takeaways.
"We're all playing together as one unit," Lloyd said. "Everybody shows up and works every day. We all communicate really well and have a genuine love and appreciation for one another. We want to play for each other. That all ties in together. You see it manifest on the field by everybody being in the right spot."
And while the defense has played well through 11 games, and though the Jaguars are very much in the race for AFC homefield advantage, Lloyd said improvement remains very possible.
"We haven't even played our best and we're still so good as a team," he said. "It's going to come together and it's going to come together at the right time. I believe that wholeheartedly. The way we work, we do things the right way.
"We're really just focused on the Bengals right now. We're locked in on the moment, looking to take advantage of today, but we're going to put it together at the right time."
Listen to the entire O-Zone Podcast with Devin Lloyd below. Click HERE to listen to more episodes of the O-Zone.
