Jaguars roster: Who’s overachieving, underperforming so far in 2022?
By Adam McCarty
Jaguars underperformer No. 3 in 2022: Foyesade Oluokun, LB
Linebacker Foyesade Oluokun joined the Jaguars this offseason with hopes of replacing Myles Jack as the leader of this defense. By all means, the former Atlanta Falcon still very well can make strides to do so, but his first six games of the season have been underwhelming.
So far, Oluokun has been inconsistent at the position and still makes mistakes that fans complained about with Jack in that very position. Pass defense has been concerning for Oluokun, especially in a Week 6 performance in which he allowed every catch in his area to be caught.
With no immediate signs of production improving week over week and now dealing with a calf injury, it’s fair to wonder if he will remain healthy for the whole season. One positive for Oluokon is he has done well in the pass rush, with seven total pressures on opposing quarterbacks.
Jaguars overachiever No. 2 in 2022: Travis Etienne, RB
A slight delay for the Jaguars’ second first-round pick of 2021 to touch the field, but running back Travis Etienne has arrived. The first few weeks he played second fiddle to James Robinson when it came to the offense running the ball, but the last two weeks, the former Clemson Tiger has begun to become the electric ballcarrier that was expected.
In the last three weeks, Etienne has totaled 341 all-purpose yards. He even scored his first NFL touchdown against the New York Giants in Week 7 and it is clear that he is being worked into the offense more each week, so it doesn’t come out as a surprise that he’s graded as the 15th-best running back in the league.
I would expect Etienne’s production will only increase as the season continues and will begin taking bigger portions of Robinson’s touches. His dynamic ability to pass and catch the ball makes him suitable to lineup anywhere on the offense and has been used for screens. After racking up ten carries or more in each of the last three games, his ceiling may be higher than we anticipated coming into the season.