Jaguars LB Foyesade Oluokun claims a spot in ESPN's top 10 ranking

He may not be the centre of attention before or after games, but Foyesade Oluokun may be one of the most valuable players in his position. The Jacksonville Jaguars know it, and it looks like executives and coaches agree, based on an ESPN poll.

The 28-year-old St. Louis native signed a three-year extension with Jacksonville over the offseason and is highly regarded by critics for his achievements since coming to Duval. Not surprisingly, Oluokun ranks in the top 10 on various lists of the best off-ball linebackers in the league. ESPN’s poll of up to 80 NFL coaches, scouts, and executives has him at No. 10 in the league and No. 6 in the AFC at his position.

Since joining the Jaguars in 2022, Oluokun has been nothing short of spectacular in the Jags linebacking corps.

In his first season with the team, Oluokun led the league with 128 solo tackles and retained his title in 2023 despite registering fewer solo stops (111). In 2023, he surpassed 150 total tackles for a third successive campaign, becoming just the sixth player to achieve that feat since 2000. He also recorded a career-high in quarterback hits (10) and fumble recoveries (three).

Over his career, the Yale product has amassed 811 total tackles, 506 of which were solo ones, plus 32 tackles for losses and 22 passes defended.

Fred Warner (San Francisco 49ers) earned the top spot on ESPN's list. Roquan Smith (Baltimore Ravens) was second. Matt Milano (Buffalo Bills) was No. 3 while Patrick Queen (Pittsburgh Steelers) finished at No. 4.

Jaguars LB Foyesade Oluokun’s biggest strengths

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler recently commented on Oluokun’s strengths, which make him one of the elite off-ball linebackers in the NFL.

"There are better cover LBs, but down in and down out, he's been a really good player and cleans up a lot in the run game," a personnel head with an NFL team said. "Great with hands and shedding blocks,"

An NFL personnel evaluator had this to say about Oluokun. “We liked him a lot in the free agent market a few years back.” One knock is a lack of splash plays, particularly in coverage.” “If tackles are your thing, Oluokun is your guy.

Oluokun has 487 tackles over the past three years, leading the NFL in two of them.”

What is Foyesade Oluokun missing?

There isn’t much more Doug Pederson could ask of Oluokun, though despite his impressive stats in Jacksonville, some things are missing from his repertoire.

Firstly, he has yet to make the Pro Bowl despite being a tackle machine, perhaps because making a tackle is considered basic for most football outsiders, as opposed to a sack or a tackle for a loss, which can change the complexion of a game. The second part has already been mentioned, and that is pass coverage, though in his defence, many great off-ball linebackers struggle in that capacity.

Working in his favor is that having an aggressive defensive coordinator in Ryan Nielsen next season could push him to new heights and allow Oluokun to make some of those splash plays that fans crave.

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