Coming into the season, there was some concern that linebacker Devin Lloyd would not thrive with the Carolina Panthers as he did in Jacksonville in 2025. But so far, those concerns have been put to bed.

According to Mike Kaye at ESPN, Lloyd was the team's best offseason pickup. Here's what Kaye had to say in the worldwide leader's post-Week 7 power rankings:

The Panthers' defense has been up and down this season, but it has been hard to question Lloyd's role as the alpha linebacker in the middle of the unit. He missed the team's Week 3 loss to the Browns, but he has made an impact as a playmaker and blitzer with 39 tackles, two sacks, two interceptions and a defensive touchdown in his five appearances. Lloyd has been well worth the three-year, $45 million deal he received in free agency.

Lloyd has been filling up the stat sheet in every possible way. In five games, he's already posted two interceptions, two sacks, five quarterback hits, four tackles for a loss and 39 combined tackles. In coverage, he's only allowed a 58.6-percent completion rate and a passer rating of 56.2.

The Panthers also paid big money for edge rusher Jaelan Phillips. While that move hasn't exactly gone sour, he hasn't yet lived up to the massive investment they've made in him.

Pro Football Focus has Phillips graded out at 68.5 overall, which ranks 43rd among qualifying edge defenders. They need him playing at a top-10 level to justify his contract.