JAGUARS HEAD COACH DOUG PEDERSON, GENERAL MANAGER TRENT BAALKE
NFL DRAFT MEDIA AVAILABILITY
THURSDAY, APRIL 28, 2022
Q. Obviously around here a lot of people are much more familiar with the two Georgia linebackers. Can you talk about what it is you liked about Devin Lloyd that inspired you to get back up into the first round?
TRENT BAALKE: Well, I think the same thing we talked about with Travon, the versatility. He does a little bit of everything. He can cover. He can rush the passer. He’s very good against the run inside the tackle box and outside. So just a lot of versatility, and he’s a culture setter. He’s a great young man. He fits into what we’re trying to build here, and we’re looking forward to having him here.
Q. Was there a lot of negotiation going on with him in terms of whether you were willing to (indiscernible)?
TRENT BAALKE: No, I generally don’t — when we offer, we try to just do a fair deal. So, there wasn’t a ton of negotiating. We presented an offer, they came back with a slightly different offer and we settled right in the middle. If you want the player, you want the player. It doesn’t pay to try to win every trade. It was a fair trade for both sides. We were just fortunate they were willing to work with us.
Q. For Trent and Doug, did you guys bring Devin in for an in-facility visit?
TRENT BAALKE: We did not, no.
Q. Interview at the combine?
TRENT BAALKE: Yes.
Q. What stood out about him as a person that excited you about him?
TRENT BAALKE: Well, we do a lot of work on these guys. It’s not just a 20-minute meeting here or even a visit here. The scouts do a lot of work all year long on these guys, go in and talk to the coaches, talk to their high school coaches. We do a lot of research on these guys, and his character is impeccable.
Q. Trent, just in terms of the first-round grades you guys had on these players, was Devin one of the last players that you guys had as a first-round grade?
TRENT BAALKE: I’m not going to divulge the board, but obviously this was a draft where there was a certain number of guys that we had graded above the line and we were getting to the point where we needed to make a move. This was something that didn’t just happen. We were considering this going
into the draft. So we were fortunate enough that it worked out, and Tampa got what they wanted and we got what we wanted.
Q. At what point did you decide this might be an opportunity for us? At what point during the draft?
TRENT BAALKE: I think Coach and I looked at each other right around the Dallas pick, I think. I think they were picking 24th or — we talked about it a little bit before that, but when it got to Dallas and Dallas picked the center, Tyler Smith, the offensive lineman. When we got to that, we felt, okay, we’ve got a chance here, we picked up the phone and talked to Tampa.
Q. Doug, obviously Devin’s story, the NFL Network did the beautiful feature on it earlier this week about his fallen teammates and him being the captain of that Utah team. For you as a former player, what were your conversations with him that have made him the culture setter that you guys hope you are bringing in?
DOUG PEDERSON: You know, just understanding him a little bit more off the field and what he represents and what he stands for. I think are the types of guys that we want to surround ourselves with and bring into our building. He fits that for us. As Trent alluded to, not only is he a good football player, but again, he’s a high-character individual, and that’s all part of this process that we look at when we dive into these players, and the stuff he does away from football is pretty remarkable.
Q. I know we will get the chance to talk to him down the line, but I’m curious what Coach Caldwell’s take on Devin was? How high was he on his board?
TRENT BAALKE: Yeah, Mike was excited. Again, we talk about the process, and the coaches were heavily involved in this process, so not only was Mike excited, the entire defensive staff (was excited) because it’s another versatile player that plays the game with the mentality that we want to play the game with. I think they’re very excited.
Q. How well can Devin and Foye work together and what do you think you have there now at inside linebacker?
DOUG PEDERSON: You know, I think from a football standpoint it’s very similar to Travon. We’ve got to get them both in here and get them with the defensive coaches and really get them to start working with the guys on our roster currently. But I think that it’s going to be a good relationship, just again, making that linebacker room a little bit stronger, a little bit better, and really helping the overall football team with the guys like Devin and Travon. It’s still a work in progress, obviously, with these guys, but we’re excited to get them in here.
Q. Trent, how much of your thought process in selecting Devin was just the idea, AFC South has got Derrick Henry, Jonathan Taylor? How much does that play into your thinking when you’re evaluating the value of a guy like this?
TRENT BAALKE: Well, I’ve always gone with the premise, it’s a big man’s game, especially in this division. You’ve got to play physical football. You’ve got to win the line of scrimmage, you’ve got to win the front on both sides of the ball, and these two guys will help us do that. We’ve got a lot of other guys on this
football team that can help us do that, as well, so we’re looking forward to putting it together and letting the coaches get them in the best possible position, and you go play football.
JAGUARS LB DEVIN LLOYD
NFL DRAFT MEDIA AVAILABILITY
THURSDAY, APRIL 28, 2022
Q. How long have you been practicing the “Duval”? When did you first hear about “Duval”?
DEVIN LLOYD: I heard about it, I want to say it was like a mic’d up or something. This was a while ago, though. But I haven’t been practicing it at all. I had no idea I was going to Jacksonville. They haven’t even really spoke to me like that, so I had no clue. But as soon as I saw the Jacksonville number, I was like, ooh, Duval. I knew I could finally say that because I like the chant. It’s cool.
Q. What was it like for you? I know a lot of people had you projected to go a little bit earlier, being in the green room, watching other guys get up and waiting for your name to be called?
DEVIN LLOYD: Yeah, for sure. It was a long way. I wasn’t really expecting that. But I’m a Jag, and I know God does not make mistakes. So, I’m excited to be here and I’m excited to get to work.
Q. Devin, do you see yourself as a plug and play, ready for the NFL linebacker?
DEVIN LLOYD: Well, personally you have to go in and earn the spot. You have to earn the trust of everyone around you, the players, coaches, ownership. You have to earn everything you have. But for me and my confidence, if you’re asking me personally, yes, I see myself as a plug and play. I want to come in and help immediately, handle myself like a pro, earn everything, and I mean, really go out and win. Do everything I can to be a winner, champion.
Q. What do you know of Travon Walker? How much do you know of him, and you two guys coming in here and partnering for the foreseeable future as the building blocks of this defense?
DEVIN LLOYD: Yeah, yeah, not a whole lot outside of what I’ve seen and heard. But I know that he’s going to be a force and he’s a dominant player. He went No. 1 overall for a reason. So I’m excited to get to work. I know we’re going to do good things. We’re going to be special.
Q. I’m sure you’re probably aware that Jacksonville is a Navy town, and with the background of your own parents, could you talk a little bit about that? Does that give you an extra little more excitement about coming to a city that takes great pride in the military?
DEVIN LLOYD: You know, I actually didn’t know that it was a huge Navy town. I knew there was military bases kind of all over, especially on the East Coast. I didn’t know it was a huge Navy town, though. But that’s amazing. I feel like that’ll make me feel even more right at home. I’m from San Diego, which is right by the beach. There’s a lot of military, and I feel like there’s a lot of similarities in Jacksonville, as well. I’m excited. I’m ready.
Q. As a follow-up to that, when did you move away from Kansas City?
DEVIN LLOYD: I was born in Kansas City. When I was seven, I moved to Dallas when I was 12 and then I moved to San Diego when I was 12 — did I say that right? I was born in Kansas City, moved to Dallas when I was seven, moved to San Diego when I was 12.
Q. What do you think when you hear people comparing you to Darius Leonard?
DEVIN LLOYD: You know, I’m not huge on comparisons just because everybody is their own player. Everybody has their own skill set, and everybody is special at what they do. That being said, I think there is similarities in our game, our mentality, our play style. He’s a special player. Every time I watch him on film, and I watch a lot of him, he’s always making big plays, changing the game, which is something I pride myself on doing as a linebacker. I think there’s a lot of similarities in our game.
Q. Trent Baalke mentioned the same thing when he was talking about you and Travon. It’s the versatility to move around a little bit and be used in different ways. How do you think that sets you apart from maybe some other guys?
DEVIN LLOYD: Yeah, definitely, being able to do everything at a high level that you could ask a linebacker to do, cover tight ends, running backs, play zone coverage, play the run, rush the passer, doing all those things I feel like I’m the most complete when it comes to doing all those things at a high level and I’m only going to continue to get better. I feel like my ceiling is really high, and I can’t wait to get out with my coaches, my coaches in the NFL and really just perfect my craft really.
Q. Jamal Agnew, do you guys know each other at all? Did you overlap at all?
DEVIN LLOYD: Don’t know him but I’ve seen a lot about him. I’ve heard a lot about him. I know he’s a baller. I also knew he was from San Diego, too. I definitely have been following him. But yeah, it’s going to be cool having some 619 love over there.
Q. I know you really only met with the Jags at the combine per se. Was there any coach in particular that you met with, whether that was Mike Caldwell or someone on the defensive staff, that you really met with one-on-one?
DEVIN LLOYD: Not really. No.
Q. Devin, as you know, the AFC South is probably as tough a division as there is in terms of running backs, with Derrick Henry there and Jonathan Taylor. How much do you look forward to what will most certainly be mano-a-mano games because of the physicality of those two backs?
DEVIN LLOYD: Ooh, I love it. In the PAC we passed a lot. I love playing the run. I just love playing football. But yeah, whenever it comes to physicality, I feel like I’m an expert at that. Really just — I’m excited for whatever challenges, whatever I have in front of me. Just know I’m going to attack it with everything I have.
