Jaguars' most underrated player has a chance to show in 2024 that he deserves the fifth-year option

In 2024, the Jacksonville Jaguars will need nearly every player to have a great season. As the saying goes, they need all hands on deck. Last year was a disappointment, and I think everyone would agree. They went from winning a playoff game to not making the playoffs.

After some offseason work in both free agency and the draft, the Jaguars have a good roster to win the AFC South. But it won't be easy. The Houston Texans have a great roster, the Tennessee Titans have made some good moves, and the Indianapolis Colts will be getting their starting QB back.

Luckily, the Jaguars have one of the more underrated players in the league. Pro Football Focus recently put out a list of every team and their most underrated player entering 2024, and for the Jaguars they selected linebacker Devin Lloyd, who is sure to have a big year for a few different reasons.

Here is what PFF had to say about Lloyd:

Despite a challenging start to his career, Lloyd, a first-round pick, demonstrated remarkable resilience and growth. After being benched during his rookie season and seeing his playing time reduced, he bounced back in 2023, showcasing the potential that led Jacksonville to select him early two years ago. His 966 snaps ranked 23rd among linebackers, and his exceptional 90.3 run-defense grade placed him fourth at his position.

Lloyd is not entering a contract year or anything like that. In fact, he has this year and next year left on his contract. However, when you look at his contract notes on Spotrac, you will see that Lloyd has a fifth-year option available from the Jaguars. Now, the team will have some important decisions to make going into the next offseason and certainly the one after, so it's important for Lloyd to also have a great season this offseason.

Lloyd has been huge for the Jaguars defense in the past. His run defense, where he somehow always finds himself where the ball is, is amazing. But the defense as a whole hasn't been great. With the way the new defense will be behind Ryan Nielsen, Lloyd should be much better. It's time for him to take that next step and show why the Jaguars should keep him around for years to come.