The Jacksonville Jaguars have had the luxury of Foyesade Oluokun in the middle for a long time now. On Sunday, he moved into third place on the franchise's all-time tackles list.
Although the Jacksonville Jaguars' historic nine-game win streak came to an end with Sunday's loss to the Denver Broncos, some individual history was made.
Longtime starting linebacker Foyesade Oluokun moved into third place in franchise history for tackles with his seven-tackle performance, passing Rashean Mathis.
Sitting at 619 career tackles with the franchise, Oluokun trails only Daryl Smith and Paul Posluszny for the No. 1 spot.
Oluokun has been a staple of Jacksonville's defense since being acquired in 2022, transforming into one of the most consistent players in the league.
After being drafted in the sixth round of the 2018 NFL Draft out of Yale, Oluokun carved out a strong four years with the Atlanta Falcons before joining the Jaguars.
In 2021, his last in Atlanta, Oluokun posted a career-high 192 tackles, leading the league.
He would carry this production over into his first season with Jacksonville, once again sitting atop the NFL with 184 takedowns.
He has surpassed 100 tackles every season since, with his 1,061 tackles ranking third-most in the NFL since his rookie year.
With 11 tackles through two games this year, Oluokun is slightly under pace to continue his streak, but has already made big plays early on.
In Week 1, Oluokun picked off Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson, helping the Jaguars to a 34-10 rout.
Interceptions have become an underrated part of Oluokun's game, as he has recorded at least one in each of the past four seasons.
With this level of consistent and versatile play, Oluokun could be argued as one of the best contracts in the league.
Jacksonville locked down Oluokun on a 3-year, $30 million extension in 2024, with the former Ivy Leaguer far outplaying this price tag.
The level of leadership and continuity between longtime Jaguars like Oluokun, Josh Hines-Allen, and Arik Armstead provides defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile with players who are respected in the locker room and have significant on-field experience.
If Oluokun hits his 100-tackle threshold this season, he will be on pace to pass Posluszny midway through the 2027-2028 campaign.
As Jacksonville continues to strive for perennial postseason contendership with the blooming partnership of Liam Coen and Trevor Lawrence, veterans like Oluokun will be expected to play silent, but crucial roles.
Heading into a tough matchup against the New England Patriots on Sunday, Oluokun and the rest of the Jacksonville's defense will need to be dialed in against the reigning MVP runner-up Drake Maye and explosive second-year running back Treveyon Henderson.
