Folorunso Fatukasi named Jaguars must underappreciated player

The Jacksonville Jaguars made several splash signings in free agency but one that might have flown under the radar because of the position he plays was defensive tackle Folorunso ‘Foley’ Fatukasi. However, the Jags know how valuable he will be against the run and his addition didn’t go unnoticed by analyst Cynthia Frelund of NFL Media.

Frelund recently put together a list of the most underappreciated NFL players in the AFC and Fatukasi was the pick for the Jaguars. She notes that the defensive tackle posted carer highs in pressures and total tackles last year despite the fact that he “didn’t fit as well” in New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh’s defensive scheme. In contrast, Frelund thinks Fatukasi could potentially exceed expectations in Jacksonville.

"Robert Saleh implemented changes to the defense in his first season as Jets head coach in 2021, and Foley didn’t fit as well. He signed with the Jaguars this offseason, and his projected use in Duval, by contrast, gives him the potential to outperform expectations. Stopping the run in the AFC South has even more value than it does in other divisions, given the ground-heavy strategies favored by the Tennessee Titans and Indianapolis Colts, specifically."

A sixth-round pick by the Jets in 2018, appeared in 15 games in his first two NFL seasons but started none. That’s changed over the last two years, as he went on to make 23 starts in that span. Moreover, the defensive tackle has seen his number of snaps steadily go each in each one of the last four seasons. He earned a 61.5 Pro Football Focus overall grade last year but posted marks of 80.0 or higher the previous two seasons. The dip in 2021 may have been the result of the defensive changes Frelund alluded to.

Folorunso Fatukasi was a low-key, solid addition to the Jaguars D-Line

Fatukasi isn’t the kind of player that will amass eight or ten sacks every year, and the Jaguars know it. They gave him a three-year deal worth $30 million in free agency because of his ability to stuff the run and clog up running games. That will be a valuable skill in a division in which Jacksonville will face off against Derrick Henry and Johnatan Taylor twice a year.

In passing downs, Fatukasi will take on offensive linemen, so his teammates can make plays. That kind of role isn’t going to get him the spotlight, which is why he rightfully landed on a list of underappreciated players but if the Jaguars’ defense front becomes stouter this upcoming season, Fatukasi will be a big reason why.

The Jaguars spent the offseason upgrading Trevor Lawrence’s supporting cast but they didn’t do it at the expense of their defense. They recognize they must stop teams from running them over in 2022, that’s why they brought in Fatukasi, whose impact won’t show up on the stat sheet but will be significant nonetheless.