The Jacksonville Jaguars season opener is right around the corner, and the team’s defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell has been hard at work scheming up a strategy to get his squad a win against the Washington Commanders. He is at the controls of a defense that added some serious contributors at the linebacker position in the offseason, including linebacker Foyesade Oluokun, who will be starting in Duval County this season.
When he was asked his thoughts on if Oluokun’s services were on par with what was advertised in free agency, Caldwell left no question that the Jaguars got a bargain on a player that was somehow overlooked, even as a premium talent at a crucial position.
“He’s really more [than I expected],” Caldwell told reporters. “You watch him on film, and you see him, you always see other middle linebackers controlling that defense, and when you bring him here and have the expectations we have that you’re going to be the guy that you’re controlling everybody. You’re getting everybody lined up, and he takes it, and he runs with it. It’s almost like I can think something, tell him, and then he’ll go out there and execute it, so it’s really easy for me to be able to put that much pressure on a guy and he stands up to it and he’s been doing a great job.”
Though the work has just begun for Oluokun and the defense, the sustained effort that will be necessary for the Jaguars to take a big step forward in 2022 seems within reach for a unit that is so supremely capable. All of the pieces are in place for Jacksonville’s defense to be a top unit in the NFL, all the team needs to do now is follow through on the promise they’ve shown in training camp and preseason.
Oluokun figures to be in the mix on nearly every down for the team, so if his coach’s words are any indication, he’ll be a key factor in the defense’s success in the season opener and every game this year.
