NFL Draft rumors: Jaguars traded up in the first round because they were worried about the Patriots

After the New England Patriots had moved down in the first round from No. 21 to No. 29, the Jacksonville Jaguars saw an opportunity to get one of their guys: Devin Lloyd. Jacksonville traded up from the 33rd to the 27th selection to grab the Utah linebacker.

Turns out, the Patriots played a significant role in the Jaguars’ decision-making process. According to Mark Long of the Associated Press, the team was “worried about [the] Patriots drafting Utah LB Devin Lloyd at bottom of first round and thus chose to make the move.”

Lloyd was indeed a potential candidate to get picked up by New England had he fallen to No. 29: a rangy off-the-ball linebacker with an intriguing athletic profile, he would have addressed a need at the heart of the Patriots defense. With him off the board, however, they decided to address their offensive line.

New England ended up bringing Chattanooga interior O-lineman Cole Strange on board with the 29th pick in the draft.