Big Cat Country
This core of linebackers could be an enormous bright spot for the Jaguar defense.
For one of the final installments of the state of the roster series, we are going to take a look at the center of the Jacksonville Jaguars' defense: the linebackers.
Led by star linebacker Foye Oluokun, the Jags have the makings of a solid linebacking core. Much like the cornerbacks, the Jags have the pieces to wreak havoc in the coverage game with their backers while also having talent that can attack the quarterback.
Specifically for someone like Devin Lloyd, the upcoming season could be a huge stepping stone in the evolution of not only the team’s defense but also former Jags high-level draft picks.
As has been said before, there are areas of concern on this team. When healthy, this linebacker group might not be one of them.
Contract: First year of a 3-year, $30,000,000 deal.
Age: 29 (30 on Aug. 2)
Games Played: 111 career with Atlanta and Jacksonville. 47 in past three years with Jags.
Stats: NFL leader in tackles in ‘22, ‘23. 5.5 sacks with Jags and two picks.
Notes:
We don’t need to get buried in the weeds of how good Foye can be. When healthy, he can be a guy who can lead the NFL in tackles like he did in ‘22 and ‘23. No, leading the NFL in tackles doesn’t make you a first ballot Hall of Famer but it does give a good indication of how involved you are on defense. It goes without saying that a good tackler on defense is always necessary. Oluokun played just 13 games last year as injuries cut his season short, but he is the heartbeat of this locker room. As he goes, so largely do the Jags themselves. He is an effective blitzer and has skills in coverage. He is as complete a linebacker as this team can hope to have at this point.
Contract: Final year of a 4-year, $12,936,605 rookie deal. Making $2,469,083 base salary this season.
Age: 26 (27 in September).
Games Played: 48 over three seasons in Jacksonville.
Stats: 355 career tackles, two sacks, four picks and 19 passes defended.
Notes:
Oluokun’s running mate is Lloyd, who has had a rollercoaster couple years as a Jag. Lloyd is a frustrating player at times because he so clearly has the talent and build to be a great linebacker. He is extremely quick and was one the league’s best tacklers last season. He has shown flashes in the pass rush game and can read a quarterback well at times. He can just as easily get completely lost and turned around and overall run over by an offense. There is no doubt Lloyd is improving as he goes along and maybe some of his mishaps were due to a bad scheme and bad coaching in previous years. In the final year of his first-round rookie deal however, Lloyd has to show the consistency he displayed in...
