As two of the Jacksonville Jaguars’ most promising rookies, linebackers Chad Muma and Devin Lloyd are in a fierce competition for a starting spot in the middle of the team’s defense in Week 1. Lloyd was the prohibitive favorite for the spot before a training camp injury gave Muma the edge after he played well in the Jaguars’ preseason games.
Now. just a little over a week before the season kicks off, the two are neck and neck to become a fixture on Jacksonville’s defense Defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell commented on the position battle in a press conference on Wednesday, saying only that both players would see action against the Washington Commanders.
“Well, right now we’re still working through that,” He explained when asked if Lloyd might earn the start in Week 1. “Chad [Muma] has had a bunch of reps, and everybody will play the first game of the season and everybody will play and get in the flow. There’s no pitch count for [Devin Lloyd], we’ll get him out there and just let him go when he needs to go, let Chad go when he needs to go, same way with Foye [Foyesade Oluokun] and Shaq [Quarterman].”
It’d be a huge upset for Lloyd if Muma sweeps in to make the team’s first start of the season at inside linebacker, but after the exceptional preseason he had, the honor of leading the defense would be well deserved. If it weren’t for the injury Lloyd sustained early in the training camp process, indications are that he would’ve been the Jaguars’ best option.
Even if Lloyd is fully healthy, Jacksonville may prefer that their starting inside linebackers be adjusted to the pace and rigor of an NFL game. With limited experience gained last week against the Atlanta Falcons backups, it may behoove the Jaguars coaching staff to let Lloyd take a few matchups to get into a groove before throwing him to the wolves.
