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PFF: Falcons LB Foye Oluokun earns high marks vs. Jets

This is beginning to get serious.

NFL: Atlanta Falcons at New York Jets Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

If you’re on the Falcons LB Foyesade Oluokun bandwagon, look at this score he got from Pro Football Focus.

It appears Oluokun was the defensive star in the Jets preseason game.

Oluokun feels like one of the most exciting faces on this team right now with the praise he’s garnering, first-team reps he’s taking in practice, and moments like this from PFF.

He’s pretty much the model Dan Quinn defender: tough, smart, high-motor, high-character locker room fit. Being the highest-graded guy out there in Week 1 with important snaps speaks volumes to his potential.

The Duke Riley conundrum has some folks thinking he’s in danger of losing his starting spot, and they look to Oluokun to be the guy to fill that gap. There’s no doubt Oluokun’s a promising young player and could be regarded as a steal down the road for where he was drafted.

If Riley continues to struggle, and Oluokun continues to shine, we could face a situation where the team has no choice but to put the Yale grad on the field over Riley. The latter will improve as time goes on, but by how much, exactly? If Oluokun’s indeed ready for this, don’t be surprised if the team increases his reps and confirms it by preseason’s end.

He’s going to be a guy the team looks to this season in some way, shape, or form. If Riley can’t put it all together in time, Oluokun could be the new starting weakside linebacker.

It’s a lot for a rookie, but the team has shown before it’s willing to let young guys take big roles in the defense. We’ll see if Oluokun is next.