Should we all get on the Foye Oluokun hype train?

Foye Oluokun was that rare player the Falcons were connected to throughout the pre-draft process who actually ended up here, and he was almost a comically great fit for this Falcons team with his education (he’s a Yalie), athleticism, and special teams value. Now, there are already early rumblings that Oluokun could be something more than that.

Normally, I’m not an advocate for reading way too much into how a player performs in the first couple of days of camp, but Oluokun also impressed on special teams in May and June and showed out in minicamp, picking a pass off of Matt Schaub. The physical ability is obviously there and the team has shown an ability to effectively scout linebackers, with Deion Jones and De’Vondre Campbell turning out great and Duke Riley still possessing obvious upside.

While I’m legitimately excited about him, I’d still urge some caution with Oluokun. His likeliest role in his first season is on special teams, where he may well excel for Keith Armstrong and company, but he’s going to need to steal snaps outright from Duke Riley to get on the field in his first year. With the team needing to take a hard look at Riley to see if he’s a long-term answer, and with Riley well aware of the stakes, I’m not certainly Oluokun is going to be able to work his way into major snaps his first season.

That said, I’m high on his long-term potential, and Dan Quinn’s early praise for him is certainly a good omen. I’d go ahead and climb on the hype train for Oluokun, but maybe stay in the caboose for the moment.